Two Small Airports Just Got Air Traffic Control Through Cameras

The FAA announced on November 6 that its first digital air traffic control towers are operating at Bartow Executive Airport in Florida and Kenai Municipal Airport in Alaska. The systems use cameras and displays to give controllers a 360-degree view of runways and taxiways, and the agency says controllers still manage the airspace.

Five more airports are slated to receive systems: Winter Haven Regional and Venice Municipal in Florida, Montgomery County Airpark in Maryland, Johnston Regional in North Carolina, and Durango-La Plata County in Colorado. The FAA selected Frequentis as the vendor, and funding comes from the Working Families Tax Cut Act.

AVweb adds context. The FAA issued its first system design approval for Frequentis smartVISION in September 2026, initially for single-runway Class D airports, and Bartow began operating that month. The systems can add infrared cameras, aircraft ID tags and microphones. The funding is $50 million.

The FAA’s release describes no change for travelers. AVweb frames digital towers as a lower-cost option that could extend air traffic control to smaller airports that lack a traditional tower. A camera-based tower at Leesburg Executive in Virginia ran from 2018 until the FAA discontinued it in June 2023 after its vendor withdrew.

Sources: FAA, AVweb