Avinor And Frequentis Collaborate On 200 Million NOK Project To Redesign Oslo Airport’s Tower

Published on December 17, 2024

Avinor has entered into a contract valued at more than 200 million NOK with Frequentis AG. Under the agreement, Frequentis will deliver a state-of-the-art tower system for Oslo Airport, designed to address both present and future operational demands.

Oslo Airport’s existing tower system, first implemented in the late 1990s, has undergone numerous enhancements over the years to keep up with evolving needs and regulatory standards.

“Now there is a need to replace the existing system due to limited remaining lifespan, lack of supplier support, and new European regulatory requirements,” says Abraham Foss, CEO of Avinor.  

The initiative to implement a new, state-of-the-art tower system at Oslo Airport has successfully concluded its tender phase, with the contract being granted to Frequentis AG, based in Vienna, Austria.

“Frequentis stood out as the best provider on all quality criteria and has presented good solutions that meet the competition’s requirements. Their offer is thorough, relevant, and provides good comprehensive answers to all requirements,” says Foss 

“We feel honoured and fully committed to extending our strong long-term partnership with Avinor which will continue to foster close cooperation and drive innovation to the mutual benefit of both companies,” said Norbert Haslacher, CEO Frequentis. “Our solution will help Avinor meet rising capacity demands in a unified and modern approach to tower operations nationwide while maintaining the highest safety standards.” 

A Vision for the Next 20-30 Years
The upcoming tower system is designed to address both current and future demands over the next two to three decades.

“The system must be flexible and able to adapt to international requirements and new technology. In addition, it should facilitate reliable and cost-effective tower service at Oslo Airport,” says Foss.

The aim is to develop an advanced, future-ready tower system for Avinor and deploy it at Oslo Airport. This approach will ensure the system swiftly transitions into full-scale operation, meeting its performance goals and delivering improved efficiency, benefits, and satisfaction for both users and employees. By implementing this solution, Oslo Airport will be well-equipped to manage future air traffic scenarios, and airports across Norway will be better prepared to handle increasing traffic volumes.

What is a Tower System?

A tower system refers to an integrated IT platform that provides air traffic controllers with all the necessary tools to manage air traffic at an airport. This system oversees both aircraft movements in the air and operations on the ground.

The core function of a tower system is to offer a comprehensive view of airport traffic, enabling safe and efficient management. The system is designed to facilitate the smooth and orderly flow of air traffic.

Expandable to Additional Towers
The signed agreement includes the potential for extending the tower system to other Avinor airports. Future deployments at additional locations will be considered as the project progresses.

This initiative is part of a broader effort by Avinor to drive the digital transformation of airspace control. The current Air Traffic Management (ATM) system will be replaced at all of Avinor’s control centers and towers. The strategy includes upgrading to Remote Towers technology at smaller airports, while larger, high-traffic airports will adopt the new tower system developed by Frequentis under this contract.

“The future tower system is a central piece in realizing the vision for future airspace control, where we will digitalize and change our operational concepts to meet the future. Overall, the replacement of these systems will ensure safe and efficient airspace over Europe and that Norway meets the goals set in the EU’s Single European Sky legislative package,” concludes Foss.