FAA starts operating digital air traffic control towers at two US airports

The US Federal Aviation Administration announced on 6 November 2026 that digital air traffic control towers are operating at Bartow Executive Airport in Florida and Kenai Municipal Airport in Alaska. The FAA described them as the country's first operational digital towers. Air traffic controllers remain responsible for managing aircraft movements; the change concerns the equipment supporting their work.

The digital systems use cameras and displays to provide a 360-degree view of runways, taxiways and nearby airspace. According to the FAA, the additional visual information is designed to help controllers monitor airport activity. The announcement does not report any resulting changes to airline timetables or passenger check-in procedures.

The FAA says that years of testing at its William J. Hughes Technical Center preceded the deployments, contributing to safety, accuracy and reliability standards. It identifies Frequentis as the supplier of the selected system. This is an infrastructure announcement, not a report of a disruption to flights at either airport.

Five further airports without conventional towers are named for future installations: Winter Haven Regional and Venice Municipal in Florida, Montgomery County Airpark in Maryland, Johnston Regional in North Carolina, and Durango-La Plata County in Colorado. The FAA did not give commissioning dates for those locations. Passengers should check live flight information separately rather than treating the new tower technology as evidence of delays or cancellations.