Other ANSPs around the world are already starting to reap the benefits that digital facilities can deliver. In April 2021, London City became the first major airport to be controlled by a remote digital towerOpen a new window. Here in Canada, we are learning from the experiences of other countries' ANSPs and considering their findings when developing our long-term strategy alongside our employees.
While the implementation of digital facilities is a complex undertaking that won't be completed quickly, work to lay the foundation is well underway. In 2023, NAV CANADA selected Kingston, Ontario as the first site for a digital facility under our multi-year Digital Aerodrome Air Traffic Services (DAATS) program. This digital facility serving the local Kingston Airport, well as a test facility in Ottawa, will be used to refine and evaluate technology and operating procedures. This work will be foundational to inform future implementations of digital facilities to support other airports across the country. In 2024, we took another step forward, signing an agreement with Kongsberg Geospatial to enable this project with their state-of-the-art DAATS technology.