Farnborough Airport goes digital with NATS and Searidge Technologies.....hybrid tower on the way.

Farnborough Airport is to be the first UK airport to adopt a next-generation ‘hybrid’ digital control tower working position, as part of a new project with air traffic service provider, NATS and the leading digital tower platform supplier, Searidge Technologies.

The new digital working capability will provide the airport’s controllers with enhancements to manage aircraft both by direct visual reference from the control tower window as they do today, and via fully interactive panoramic video presentation on screens displaying key parts of the airfield.

Strategically placed ultra-high-definition cameras will provide the controllers with customisable views of the airfield, including around the airport’s new, state-of-the-art hangar development, Domus III, due to open next year.

Not only will the cameras be able to provide views that could otherwise be distant or obscured from the tower, but Searidge’s technology platform will give the controllers access to tools which provide improved tracking of the whole airport surface via integration of new ADS-B surveillance and ‘head-up’ labelling of the panoramic video. This new technology will allow the controllers to monitor individual aircraft and airport vehicles more effectively, boosting safety and efficiency, especially during low visibility scenarios such as fog.

The deployment is the first of its kind in the UK and represents the next evolution in airport air traffic management, delivering the technology enhancements of a digital solution, but within an airport’s existing control tower.

Farnborough Airport has completed the first phase of its 175,000 sq. ft state-of-the-art, sustainably designed hangar facility.

Farnborough Airport has completed the first phase of its 175,000 sq. ft state-of-the-art, sustainably designed hangar facility.

In August 2022, Farnborough Airport embarked on a £55m investment programme to significantly expand its facilities and infrastructure by developing a 300m-long, four-bay hangar facility, increasing its overall hangar space by over 70%. The landmark development was conceived in response to the growing demand for premium hangar space.

Eight months after work began on Domus III, phase one of the construction programme has been completed on time while the airport remains fully operational throughout the development. it will now benefit from increased apron capacity with the opening of new and improved aircraft stands, assisting the airport’s growing operations and allowing maximum flexibility in the day-to-day operations.

The completed groundworks also lay the foundation for the installation of the hangar’s main steel frame, which began at the end of March and is due to be completed in mid-July. The end of April will see the specialist roofing and cladding teams arriving on site to work concurrently alongside the steel teams.

Domus III will be centrally located in a prime position adjacent to the Airport's two main taxiways, complementing the airport's existing award-winning architecture and will have the flexibility to accommodate several large aircraft such as the Global 7500 and the next generation of business jets including the Dassault Falcon 10X and Gulfstream G700.