Bangkok: Thailand is gearing up to enhance its air traffic management capabilities through the deployment of Digital Tower technology, with a revised target to accommodate 1.2 million flights by 2025 and 2 million flights by 2037. This initiative is spearheaded by Mrs. Manop Jareonsri, the Deputy Minister of Transport, in collaboration with Aeronautical Radio of Thailand Co., Ltd. (AEROTHAI). According to Thai News Agency, Mrs. Jareonsri has instructed AEROTHAI to explore strategies for increasing flight capacity, which is crucial for Thailand's ambitions to become a regional aviation hub. The focus is on leveraging new technologies to enhance the efficiency of air traffic services, ensuring the nation's aviation infrastructure can meet future demands and align with government and Ministry of Transport policies. Mr. Napasit Chakpitak, President of AEROTHAI, elaborated on the development of the Intelligent Control Tower System, also known as the Digital Tower. This system aims to provide more efficient and s afer air traffic services by offering comprehensive visual coverage of airport areas. The technology is designed to minimize blind spots, reduce accident risks, and support decision-making processes, thereby enhancing safety on runways and taxiways and accommodating increased flight numbers. The Digital Tower can also serve as a contingency or backup tower and offers a 3D simulator for training air traffic controllers. The initial implementation phase will target high-density airports such as Suvarnabhumi, Don Mueang, Phuket, Chiang Mai, Hat Yai, and Samui by 2026. A subsequent phase will focus on airports with lower traffic volumes, like Narathiwat and Betong, using Remote Towers by 2027. This approach aims to alleviate the need for deploying air traffic controllers on-site. Furthermore, AEROTHAI is working on integrating data from the Air Traffic Flow Management (ATFM) and Airport Collaborative Decision Making (A-CDM) systems. This integration will enhance the efficiency of air traffic management processe s, enabling a more streamlined and expanded capacity for handling flights across Thailand's airspace.
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