At the end of 2014, after 8 years of development and the publication of the Single Remote Tower Services SESAR Solution, the Swedish Transport Agency granted operational approval to LFV for the Sundsvall Remote Tower Centre to provide air traffic services for Örnsköldsvik airport. This is the first approved application of remote tower technology in the world. But this is only a first step to more ambitious concepts under development in SESAR: remote tower operations for multiple airports.

As part of Release 4 activities, in mid-2014, DFS and LFV made a first assessment of the feasibility and technical maturity of the provision of air traffic services to multiple airports using remote tower technology in two validation exercises. This was complemented by another exercise, which took place in November 2014, whereby a shadow mode trial was performed by Avinor in Bodø, Norway to provide Aerodrome Flight Information Service (AFIS) to two airfields located in the Lofoten Islands, Vaerøy heliport and Røst aerodrome, around 100km away from Bodø. The system provided by SAAB consists of 14 52" LCD screens allowing a high-resolution panoramic view up to 360° of each airfield fed by 14 HD cameras on each airfield. It is complemented by images provided by pan-tilt-zoom (PTZ) and infra-red cameras and overlay information (wind rose, RVR, outline of runway and buildings, etc.)

When asked for initial feedback and impressions on the exercise, Lasse Ørnebakk, Avinor’s Exercise Coordinator, said: "The test went way beyond the expectations of each and every participant. Even those who were sceptical before the trial can now claim that the solution is feasible. The Norwegian authority personnel that participated were also positive about the concept. This validation exercise has also helped us to detect some further areas of improvement for the future.’’

A detailed validation report addressing these points for improvement will soon be available.