AUSTIN, Texas — Austin's airport now has a new advanced tower simulator.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced Monday that Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS) is the first in the nation to receive a new modernized Tower Simulation System, which is used for air traffic controller training on airport operations.
The FAA said the system is now operational at AUS and includes a visual database to simulate air traffic scenarios on an airport’s layout, operations and airspace. The FAA said modernizing the simulator system will also speed up the time it takes for controllers to fully certify at air traffic facilities.
According to the FAA, controllers at AUS handled over 250,000 flights last year.
“Safety is our priority, and we are investing in new technologies that provide enhanced training for our air traffic controllers,” FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker said. “The new simulators will help us achieve that by providing real scenarios to train controllers throughout the National Airspace System.”
The FAA plans to install the new Tower Simulator System in 95 airports across the country by the end of 2025.
The new system's installation at AUS come after multiple recent close calls and deaths due to ground accidents at the airport.