US aviation regulator launches first digital air traffic control towers in Florida and Alaska
The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) says the country's first digital air traffic control towers are now operating at two smaller airports. The technology is part of a $12.5bn effort to modernize ageing aviation infrastructure.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the US agency that oversees civil aviation, has announced that the country's first digital air traffic control towers are officially operational. The systems are running at Bartow executive airport in Florida and Kenai municipal airport in Alaska, as part of the Trump administration's push to update ageing aviation infrastructure.
According to the agency, the digital towers use advanced camera systems and digital displays to give controllers a continuous 360-degree view of airport operations, including runways, taxiways and the surrounding airspace. Five more regional airports are due to receive the technology next.
The FAA stresses that the systems are not meant to replace human controllers. They are designed to offer greater visibility and extra information to help controllers carry out their existing duties. FAA administrator Bryan Bedford said in a statement that controllers continue to keep aircraft safely separated and are being given better technology to do so.
Modernization costs
Bedford is scheduled to appear next week before the House transportation and infrastructure committee, where he is expected to face questions about the progress and challenges of the $12.5bn modernization initiative. The programme aims to replace decades-old equipment, including copper telecommunications lines, floppy disks and paper strips used to track aircraft.
Congress approved $12.5bn over five years in June 2025 for air traffic control reforms, but the administration is seeking another $30bn to fund further improvements.
Background
In September, the FAA introduced a new AI software tool called the Strategic Management of Airspace, Routes and Trajectories (Smart). Staffing levels in control towers and related safety systems have been under close scrutiny since a 2025 midair collision between a passenger jet and a military helicopter on the outskirts of Washington DC, which killed 67 people. Authorities later called it "100% preventable"; it was the deadliest crash in the US in more than 20 years. President Donald Trump has also been heavily criticized over his response to a national shortage of air traffic controllers following last year's government shutdown.
