An agreement between Pansa and Saab paves the way for a new, modern era in managing flights without a physical control tower

The Polish Air Navigation Services Agency (Pansa) recently signed a pivotal agreement with Saab for the design, construction, and launch of a Remote Tower for Warsaw-Modlin Airport, the secondary airport serving the capital. The new facility, featuring a remote operations center located directly in Warsaw, promises to elevate safety and efficiency standards in flight operations.

The agreement was signed between Magdalena Jaworska-Maćkowiak, CEO of Pansa, and Per Ahl, Head of ATM Marketing and Sales at Saab. This cutting-edge solution involves the installation of cameras and sensors directly at the airport, capable of transmitting real-time signals to the remote control center. This will enable air traffic management with the same effectiveness as a traditional tower, but with the flexibility to operate hundreds of kilometers away from the controlled airport. Jaworska-Maćkowiak emphasized that the implementation of this innovative technology "opens a new chapter in air traffic management", representing a "technological leap and a change in the way safety and efficiency of air operations are conceived". She added that air traffic controllers will have tools to act "faster and with greater precision, regardless of conditions or location".

Maciej Lasek, Deputy Minister of Infrastructure, reiterated the importance of adopting new technologies for the future of efficient and safe air traffic management. Meanwhile, Andrzej Sus, CTO of Pansa, highlighted how Remote Tower technology confirms the growing role of digitalization and automation in air traffic control, citing the integration of images with augmented reality (AR) elements for enhanced situational awareness.

The Remote Tower system will offer controllers a significantly expanded visibility compared to conventional solutions, thanks to the integration of images from multiple cameras, including PTZ cameras with zoom capabilities and infrared technology. This will allow effective observation of the maneuvering area even at night and under adverse weather conditions. Furthermore, the remote tower will enable full integration of the airport’s display system with ATM systems, utilizing primary and secondary surveillance systems (radar and MLAT) for detection, identification, marking, and automatic tracking of moving objects on and near the maneuvering area, as well as preliminary risk assessment.

The choice to locate the Remote Tower at the Warsaw Air Traffic Management Center eliminates the need to build a traditional tower at Modlin Airport. The system has been designed with scalability in mind, allowing expansion and adaptation to the airport’s growing operational demands without the need for investing in costly physical infrastructure. Cameras will be installed at approximately 40 meters height in the central part of the airport, permitting future infrastructural expansions without compromising visibility of the maneuvering area.

The launch of the Remote Tower at Warsaw-Modlin Airport is scheduled for the end of 2027. The airport, located in Modlin, 40 km northwest of Warsaw, was built on the site of a disused military airfield and inaugurated in July 2012. It currently serves as one of the bases for the Irish low-cost carrier Ryanair.