Since the early hours of December 4, traffic at Saarbrücken Airport (IATA: SCN) is no longer controlled from the tower on site but from hundreds of kilometres away in Leipzig. DFS, the German air navigation service provider, has set up its new Remote Tower Control Centre (RTCC) there. You can find the latest photos and videos of the first take-offs and landings here.
A Luxair regional airliner was the first aircraft whose landing was controlled from the DFS RTCC. The aircraft, a Bombardier DHC 8-400 from Luxembourg, touched down on Saarbrücken’s runway at 6:51hrs. At 6:53 hrs, a Bombardier CRJ 700 of the same airline was the first aircraft to receive a take-off clearance from Leipzig. It departed on time and flew to Berlin Tegel Airport. The last aircraft controlled from the old tower, a Luxair flight to Luxembourg, took off at 22:01 on December 3.
Ten air traffic controllers work at the new RTCC in Leipzig, having moved there from Saarbrücken. Even without a direct view from the tower, they can monitor the airport remotely thanks to Saarbrücken Airport’s camera system.
For the moment, Saarbrücken’s tower will remain open for a four-week period before the DFS operation moves to Leipzig permanently
