First ever tower simulator now operational at Austin airport, FAA says
On Monday, the Federal Aviation Administration said the first air tower simulator in the nation is now operational at the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport.
AUSTIN (KXAN) -- On Monday, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said the first air tower simulator in the nation is now operational at the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport.
In November 2023, the FAA took immediate action on a nationwide safety review. This then led to the FAA choosing Austin as one of 95 facilities to receive the tower simulator systems in an effort to boost Air Traffic Control safety.
The simulator includes "a visual database to simulate air traffic scenarios on an airport's layout, operations and airspace," according to the FAA.
U.S. Representative Lloyd Doggett, who represents Travis County, was one of several local and state politicians who were outspoken about the safety improvements at AUS.
“I don’t think that this announcement provides any immediate relief for us here in Austin. We are still understaffed, under authorized and under equipped,” Doggett said back in November.
He said these immediate actions from the FAA were a welcomed start, but he said more progress was needed to secure safety for employees, as well as passengers in Austin.
The outcry for more air traffic safety and on-the-ground safety resulted in several near misses at AUS, as well as employee injuries. In October 2023, an airport employee died after being struck by a fuel truck on the airport’s grounds.
According to the FAA, Austin handled more than 250,000 flights in 2023.
In a statement to KXAN on Monday, the FAA said the follow:
We are incredibly grateful to our Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) partners to be chosen for this groundbreaking initiative, especially as the first airport to receive the new tower simulators. Safety is our most important shared priority with all our airport partners and we thank the FAA for their commitment to ensuring the safety of air travel for our community. We also want to thank our Congressional and Austin City Council elected leaders for their advocacy and continued support.
Austin-Bergstrom International Airport