AlUla Becomes Middle East’s First Remotely Operated Airport with SANS–Indra Digital Tower

Saudi Air Navigation Services and Indra Group have brought a fully remote air traffic control model into live operation at AlUla International Airport, marking what the companies describe as the first airport in the Middle East to enter service with a remote digital tower

The deployment enables controllers to manage take-offs and landings from a control centre in Jeddah, around 550 kilometres from the runway. Instead of relying on a conventional on-site tower, the airport uses a mast fitted with high-definition cameras and sensors that stream operational data and live imagery in real time to the remote centre.

At the controller position, the digital tower provides a 360-degree videowall with a 4K view of runways, movement areas and restricted zones. The system also adds night-vision capability, AI-supported detection functions and augmented-reality overlays designed to support identification and situational awareness during operations.

According to the announcement, the platform is integrated with Indra’s ManagAir automation solution, which is intended to help calculate more accurate routes, improve operational efficiency and support lower fuel consumption and CO₂ emissions.

Saleh Alzahrani, COO of SANS, said the combination of SANS operational expertise with the virtual tower’s capabilities reflects the organisation’s focus on transforming air navigation services and delivering “seamless, safe, and efficient” air traffic management.

Indra’s executive vice president of ATM, Víctor Martínez, said the project reinforces the company’s position in digital tower technology, pointing to broader deployments where multiple airfields can be controlled from a single centre.

SANS, Saudi Arabia’s national air navigation services provider, oversees an airspace spanning more than two million square kilometres, while Indra said the project supports its wider expansion and long-term presence across the region.