Airways is demonstrating a prototype digital air traffic control tower at Auckland Airport - meaning controllers won't need to be at the airfield they are monitoring. / Video by Dean Purcell
The aging air traffic control tower at Auckland Airport is increasingly hard to maintain and needs to be relocated to fit into redevelopment work at the airport.
Airways favours a conventional replacement, saying it isn't yet confident enough in technology to press ahead with a fully digital operation where theairfield is largely monitored by cameras operated by controllers in a remote location.
The state-owned enterprise says in a consultation document that it is reaching the end of its lease with Auckland Airport (AIA) on the existing site which is going to be redeveloped as part of a rebuild at the airport.
''Regular maintenance is now required to keep the tower in a usable state, with further significant work likely to be required if extending the life of the tower past the agreed lease expiry date.''
It is expected that construction of a favoured 35m tall ''hybrid tower'' (6m taller than the existing one), would begin in mid-2024, becoming operational in late 2026. It is expected that it will cost more than $55 million to build.
Another option Airways also considered was an even taller option, a 70m structure that would have cost $80m and would enable conventional service for both the existing runway and the proposed northern runway - construction of which has been pushed out for years by the pandemic.
There is no location finalised yet for the proposed 35m tower or the backup contingency facility, which will be a digital operation.
Airways had been moving quickly to digital air traffic control towers before the pandemic. Photo / Doug Sherring
The consultation document says the existing contingency operation above the international apron and available to be used for backup if there were serious problems with the main tower, has access and availability constraints.
It needs a minimum of two hours to set up, has limited visibility of the control zone and domestic apron, and is not capable of low-visibility operations.
Due to the impact of Covid-19, Airways cancelled the Auckland digital contingency tower project that it had been planning for some years.
Airways' general manager of air traffic services Katie Wilkinson said while the existing tower is safe and functional for now, it is reaching its end of life and needs to be replaced.
Industry consultation on replacement options for the tower formally closed on Friday.
''We expect to have a decision in late November, once all feedback has been considered, and will then be in a position to begin more detailed planning.''
''Before we begin physical construction of the hybrid tower, we will assess our decision to go ahead based on what we have learned from the digital contingency tower development to understand if a full digital tower service would be a superior option for Auckland,'' she said.
The consultation document says Airways gained ''general industry support'' for its digital strategy before the pandemic hit.
The plan was to build our knowledge base, experience, and confidence in the ability of a digital platform to deliver air traffic services safely and efficiently, through the implementation of a digital contingency tower.
''Had that occurred and proven successful, Airways may have had the confidence to replace the primary Auckland Airport facility with a digital tower. Not having implemented a digital contingency tower, Airways needed to revise its approach to the primary Auckland tower replacement.''
A full digital tower solution would be new to New Zealand.
''We are facing constraints at Auckland Airport, including the tight timeframe available to replace the existing tower. At this point, we do not yet have the confidence to know we can safely and successfully roll out a digital solution at our biggest international airport.''
