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Digital towers begin operating at US airports in Florida and Alaska
The FAA has brought the first digital air traffic control towers in the US into operation, at regional airports in Florida and Alaska. The systems are part of a wider effort to modernise ageing aviation infrastructure, amid scrutiny of air traffic safety and concerns about new technology.
Cameras and digital displays provide controllers with a continuous 360-degree view of runways, taxiways and nearby airspace. The FAA says the technology is intended to give human controllers more information, not replace them; five more regional airports are due to receive it. Congress approved $12.5bn over five years in June 2025, while the administration is seeking a further $30bn. The FAA’s administrator is due to face questions about the modernisation effort next week, after staffing shortages and a fatal 2025 midair collision heightened scrutiny of the system.
In short
- Digital towers are operating at airports in Florida and Alaska.
- Cameras and displays give controllers a 360-degree view.
- The FAA says the systems support, rather than replace, controllers.
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Originally published by The Guardian as “FAA announces first US digital air traffic control towers in Florida and Alaska”.