As of: March 2, 2024, 6:30 p.m
By: Lucas Sauter Orengo
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The tower at Munich Airport: As a test, a virtual system is intended to show what potential a digital solution has for a hub like Munich.
It remains to be seen whether it will actually represent an interim alternative during construction work on the tower in the next few years.
© IMAGO/Manfred Segerer
A virtual tower system is intended to show what potential a digital solution has for a hub like Munich.
It remains to be seen whether it will actually be an alternative in the next few years.
Munich Airport - What sounds like the distant future is already a reality on smaller airports: traffic at Saarbrücken and Erfurt airports is not controlled from a classic on-site flight tower, but from the so-called Remote Tower Center at Leipzig/Halle Airport.
The airport in Dresden is also scheduled to be connected to the remote tower from 2025.
As the
German Air Traffic Control (DFS)
now explains to our editorial team, Munich Airport is now to be controlled with a virtual “tower” on a test basis.
The goal: To determine what potential a virtual solution can have at larger, international hubs such as Munich.
Munich Airport: Virtual control of traffic instead of a classic tower?
“Only after these validations have been completed can it be foreseen what possible applications this could result in, in Munich or at other locations,” said a DFS spokesman when asked.
A possible scenario for which an interim solution at Erdinger Moos could be considered would be the construction period during the renovation of the current tower.
But is a complete replacement of the classic tower in Munich even conceivable?
Munich Airport facing major changes?
The first test phase should show potential
“The extent to which a virtual solution could fully cover operations at Munich Airport must be determined as part of the project.
Our goal is to enable a possible tower renovation without restrictions,” the DFS continued.
A complete changing of the guard of the physical tower is not currently planned for Munich Airport.
“It is clear that the air traffic control tower in Munich will be retained and that in the coming years either the building will have to be renovated or a new building will be built,” it continues.
At Munich Airport, DFS tower controllers control air traffic around the clock and give “slots” to aircraft taking off and landing, i.e. clearance as to when and where they can operate. At a height of a good 70 meters, the controllers on the tower at the airport have an all-round overview so that they can always keep a close eye on the entire flight operation.
This makes it clear: The test phase that is now underway is simply a validation exercise in order to gain initial experience with a remote tower at a hub like Munich.
Such a situation would have different requirements than smaller airports, for example parallel runway operation.
And this requires a solution tailored to this.
The first results are expected by mid-2026.
The industry portal aerotelegraph
first
reported.
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