Saab Technology Digitising Air Traffic Control at Stockholm Arlanda Airport

On 1 June, the new control centre for remote air traffic control starts operations at Stockholm Arlanda Airport. Saab Digital Air Traffic Solutions (SDATS) will equip three more Swedavia airports with the second generation of digital air traffic control towers by the end of 2022.

With the new digital air traffic control centre in Stockholm (RTC Stockholm), Saab is introducing the second generation of Digital Tower

(r-TWR), an air traffic control system that significantly enhances the capability of air traffic controllers to make quick decisions to improve safety and operational efficiency. RTC Stockholm, operated by LFV, is an operational centre that can manage more than 20 airports and will enable complete air traffic control for a larger number of airports 24 hours a day, all year round.

“We see that more and more airports are choosing to take the step towards remote air traffic control, thereby creating greater accessibility and flexibility. With Kiruna Airport and the new centre in Stockholm, both the technology and the operation of remote air traffic control have matured and are ready for all types of airports. This could not have been accomplished without close cooperation between LFV, Swedavia and SDATS,” says Per Ahl, CEO of SDATS.

First out the gate is Kiruna Airport owned by Swedavia, which owns, operates and develops a further 10 airports in Sweden. Kiruna Airport is Sweden’s northernmost airport, located north of the Arctic Circle. The airport is equipped with the Saab r-TWR system, which consists of 14 high-resolution cameras and sensors fitted to a mast, providing a 360-degree view of the airport. The information from these cameras and sensors is transmitted via redundant high-speed fibre-optic cables to the control centre (RTC) in Stockholm more than 1,000 km away.

The other three Swedavia airports in the programme are scheduled to switch to remote air traffic control before the end of 2022, starting at Åre Östersund Airport, followed by Umeå Airport and finally Malmö Airport. The air traffic control system is already in use both in Sweden and internationally.