Australia’s Airservices commissions new ATC tower at Adelaide airport

Australian air navigation service provider (ANSP) Airservices has opened a $16.9m air traffic control (ATC) tower at Adelaide Airport.

The 44m tower is more than twice the height of the existing ATC tower, which was built 30 years ago.

Airservices chief executive officer Margaret Staib said that the new Adelaide tower is the ANSP’s third ATC tower to be equipped with the latest technology.

"This is a significant change in providing air traffic control services, moving from the traditional paper system to a new fully digital system and will greatly enhance our service delivery in Adelaide," Staib said.

"It ensures we are in a position to meet the anticipated growth for air services and provide safe, efficient air traffic operations in Adelaide well into the future."

Based on the ‘glass cockpit’ concept of latest jet aircraft, the new Adelaide Tower incorporates 32 customisable touch screens that offer information to air traffic controllers to carry out operational tasks.

The display system combines flight and operational data, surveillance and voice communications into a single sophisticated tower-specific design.

Tower cabin have been provided with specialised single pane glazing to ensure stringent optical, thermal and acoustic performance, so that air traffic controllers can perform their tasks safely.

"By investing in new and emerging technologies, we will be establishing the foundation for Australia’s next generation air traffic management environment," Staib added.

In July 2013, the Australian ANSP, together with the Department of Defence issued a request for tender (RFT) to build the future air traffic management (ATM) platform to support the requirements of civil and defence ATM under a single unified solution.

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Image: The 44m high tower is claimed to be more than twice the height of the existing ATC tower. Photo: courtesy of Airservices Australia.