Airways New Zealand has spent over $20 million NZD on a brand new Air Traffic Control Tower. The tower officially opened earlier today and will be fully operational from Sunday.
the building is an 8 story, 32-metre tall building. It leans at a 12.5-degree angle in a northerly direction. This symbolises the capitals prevailing wind.
Airways NZ’s Tim Boyle described the building as one of the safest in the country. It is the first building of its kind to be built on base isolators, and it is said to be able to withstand a 10m high tsunami.
Air Traffic Control staff control 97,000 flights in and out of Wellington each year, around 260 a day. The new tower gives controllers a better view of the runway, which increases safety.
The control tower is expected to be one of the last physical ATC building to be built in New Zealand, as technology advances have already seen Airways New Zealand plan to replicate the view of runways and other movement areas with cameras and screens. This means that ATC at some airports can move offsite.
© Airways NZ
