More on the Europe-wide overhaul of its air traffic control technology, this time with a Swedish project to create facilities to handle central airport movements.
The idea has been kicking around for a few years, but the project is expected to start seeing some kind of deployment later this year and into 2012 after a number of tests at Ängelholm and Malmö airports.
Created by Swedish air traffic control group LFV with defence and security firm Saab, aircraft movements at two airports - Sundsvall and Örnsköldsvik - will be consolidated into a single system at Sundsvall.
The system allows air traffic control at small and medium-sized airports to be led from a share centre, using cutting edge digital imaging.
Cameras are installed throughout both airports, with a live stream sent back to the control point and projected onto a 360-degree wall.
"At the air traffic control centre, the controller monitors and controls air traffic just as if they were sitting in a normal air traffic control tower.
"The cameras can record changes in the image, meaning that dangers such as unauthorised vehicles or objects on the runway are detected more easily. Using the cameras, the air traffic controller can also record what is happening in the sky and around the airport and then review this retrospectively in the event of an incident."
Per Ahl of LVF adds:
"This is ultimately a question of survival for smaller airports outside the major cities. Air traffic is unevenly distributed throughout the day, with single peaks when the workload is greater.
"Instead of keeping several air traffic control towers open, resources can be co-located. With fewer air traffic control towers, you can also invest more in modern technology that helps air traffic controllers at the tower being used."