b'OPERATIONSBOW51With Frequentis technology, an airports remote tower control center doesnt even have to be on the airfield. Thats one of the most interesting things about remote digital towers, Swafford says. As long as you have good fiber connectivity between the two points [the cameras and control center], they could literally be hundreds of miles apart, and the digital tower is going to function the exact same way.That opens up the potential for shared infrastructure and resources. Case in point: BOWs digital tower control center is already preparing to manage air traffic control operations for nearby Winter Haven Regional Airport (GIF), which is seven nautical miles away. Control testing for that aspect is scheduled to begin in July 2026. Although the two airports will be consolidating air traffic control efforts, Sami emphasizes that the change is about expanding coverage rather than consolidating jobs. With a remote digital tower, you can have multiple towers running from the same location, but you definitely need dedicated controllers managing the air traffic for individual airports, he clarifies. His point brings us back to the air traffic controller shortage at BOW and airports of all sizes across the U.S. As Sami stated, the need for controllers isnt going away. If anything, its greater than ever. Thats why BOW isnt just adding technology for its own purposes; its also focused on training the next generation of air traffic controllers for other airports, too. Images of the airfield are streamed from a 360-degree arrayof cameras to controllers in the digital tower control center. Pioneering digital tower technologyWe are your one stop for planning, design and construction for your remote digital towerHANSON-INC.COM/FLYInnovative engineeringfor a better planet.AirportImprovement.comNovember | December 2025'