Air traffic controllers at Seattle Paine Field International Airport have received a new Tower Simulation System designed to improve training as part of the Fed
Air traffic controllers at Seattle Paine Field International Airport have received a new Tower Simulation System designed to improve training as part of the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) ongoing air traffic control modernization effort.
The Tower Simulation System projects realistic airport layouts, allowing controllers to practice operations and a variety of scenarios in a controlled environment, the FAA said.
According to the agency, the simulator can reduce training times by nearly 30%.
The new system is part of the FAA's Brand New Air Traffic Control System modernization project, an initiative aimed at upgrading the nation's air traffic control infrastructure.
The FAA said the Paine Field project is still being finalized and is not yet listed on its Modern Skies project map.
This upgrade is only part of what is to come to Paine Field; the airport will receive $22.15 million to rehabilitate 2,100 feet of Runway 16R/34L, redesign taxiway layouts, and convert runway lighting to LED systems.
The work will address asphalt “blisters” that have developed since the runway was paved in 2019 and improve overall airfield safety, officials said. Those upgrades were announced by U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell back in May; seven Washington airports are receiving more than $82 million in federal grants for runway rehabilitation, terminal upgrades, traffic improvements, and other infrastructure projects.
