There is a growing list of tasks that can be handled remotely. In home security, there’s remotely-monitored home functions such as alarms, video doorbells, and temperature control just to name a few. Could air traffic control be the next wave of remotely-monitored functions?
Bloomberg News reports that some airports are testing remote towers from Saab AB and Thales SA that allow controllers to monitor operations from hundreds of miles away through high-definition cameras and sensors. Sounds crazy, right? But the real reason behind this news is a shortage of air traffic controllers in the midst of the world’s airlines continuing to expand. The technology is cheaper than hiring people to fill the controller vacancies at small airports, according to the report.
“It’s a potential game-changer,” said Neil Hansford, chairman of Strategic Aviation Solutions, which is a consulting form north of Sydney. “There’s a shortage. As you go to more and more airports, it’s going to exacerbate the problem.”
The technology is said to be able to detect wild animals on runways and be able to penetrate fog.
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By 2030, 40,000 more air traffic controllers will be needed around the world, according to the International Civil Aviation Organization.
To learn more about the news, check out the full story here.
