IFALPA and ECA Position Paper

Remote Towers

This joint Position Paper examines the safety and operational impacts of Remote Towers, emphasizing new risks created by their reliance on continuous data links and centralized Remote Tower Centers (RTCs).

IFALPA and ECA highlight that an RTC failure can affect both a destination and its alternate aerodrome, and they reject “multiple mode of operation” due to unresolved human-performance and communication concerns.

The paper calls for updated ICAO provisions, clear contingency requirements, and ensured independence of alternates. It concludes that Remote Towers should only be implemented with transparent Safety Assessments and must provide safety and service levels equal to or better than traditional tower operations.

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