1ST REMOTE AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL CENTER IN US TO BE IN ALABAMA

A company is seeking to build the country's first-ever remote air traffic control center, which could handle traffic for multiple airports, on the site of an old Air Force base in Alabama, a newspaper reports.

Advanced ATC Inc., an air traffic control academy based in Valdosta, Georgia, announced plans to invest about $4.7 million at Craig Air Field, now a public airport in Dallas County, just southeast of Selma, the Selma Times-Journal reported. The company also announced it will establish an international training academy at the site.

The remote tower uses cameras, real-time video and other features, allowing air traffic controllers to remotely accomplish the duties they would previously have carried out in a traditional control tower, the company said.

"Remote towers represent an important and innovative step in airspace modernization efforts in the U.S., and I'm excited to see Advanced ATC establish its pioneering operation at Craig Field," said Greg Canfield, secretary of the Alabama Department of Commerce.

While the technology is gaining a foothold in Europe, it is relatively new to the United States, Dan Cunningham, chief operator officer for Advanced ATC, told.