Nav Canada has started operations in its new air traffic control tower in Saskatoon, Sask.
The new technologies in the Saskatoon tower include touch-screens, which replace the paper strips formerly used to provide flight data to and between air traffic control personnel. The touch-screens also provide access to voice communication frequencies, obtained through newly implemented modern switches. As well, reliance on voice communication overall is reduced in the new tower.
The tower building will also accommodate Nav Canada’s Flight Service Station, which provides briefings, weather observations and overnight advisory services to pilots. The flight service specialists will work in temporary quarters in the tower until their permanent quarters are completed this summer.
This is the fifth new tower to be opened by Nav Canada since November 1996. Others have included Vancouver, Quebec City, Halifax and Toronto. New towers are underway in Calgary (Springbank) and Kelowna, B.C.