# Digital towers begin operating at US airports in Florida and Alaska

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/faa-announces-first-us-digital-air-traffic-control-towers-in-florida-and-alaska/
- Published: 2026-11-07T20:03:23+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-07T20:20:53+00:00
- Original publisher: The Guardian (publisher lean: Left)
- Original article: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/nov/07/faa-digital-air-traffic-control-tower-technology
- Topics: Americas, World

## Key points

- 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.

## Summary

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.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.