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Concept

What Is a Digital Tower?

An airport reconstructed from cameras and sensors, worked on displays.

Plain English: A digital tower shows controllers a live, reconstructed picture of an airport on screens, built from high-definition cameras and sensors, instead of an out-the-window view from a physical tower cab.

Technical: "Digital tower" emphasizes the technology stack, the camera array, pan-tilt-zoom optics, infrared and thermal sensors, and the software that reconstructs the airfield with overlays, regardless of whether the controller is at the airport or at a remote centre. It overlaps heavily with "remote tower"; the terms are often interchangeable.

See remote tower vs digital tower for the distinction, and the map for where digital towers are deployed.

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Last reviewed 2026-07-09. Independent public-source reference. Not affiliated with the FAA, EASA, or any vendor. Something wrong? Submit a correction.