Flights at Umeå Airport now traffic-controlled remotely

Published: 01 September 2023 13:35Updated: 01 September 13:35

On 23 February, air-traffic control at Umeå Airport joined the LFVs RTC Stockholm control centre, thus becoming the third of a total of four airports that make up Swedavia’s order in respect of remote air-traffic service.

“We are proud of having commissioned Umeå Airport today at the RTC Stockholm traffic-control centre. It is now the third remotely controlled airport in our cooperation with Swedavia. Remote air-traffic control will enable us to increase the availability of flights in Sweden, which will enable greater flexibility for air-traffic control services and hours of opening”, says LFV director-deneral Ann Persson Grivas.

To ensure a smooth transition, during an initial period service provision will alternate between two traffic-control sites, RTC Stockholm and Umeå Airport.

In 2015 LFV was the first in the world to provide remote air-traffic control – Remote Tower Service. Today, several countries have developed and commissioned remote air-traffic control. This is a global trend that is under way to enhance the efficiency of and further develop air-traffic control service.

In 2016, the LFV and Swedavia signed a Declaration of Intent to investigate the feasibility of remote air-traffic control. In November 2017, the contract bringing four airports – Kiruna Airport, Åre Östersund Airport, Umeå Airport and Malmö Airport – into the RTC system was signed.

Only Malmö Airport still remains to be incorporated into this joint undertaking of LFV and Swedavia. According to the schedule, this will take place before year-end 2023.

The project has been partly funded by the EU.