Multiple tower operations

[scientist]

All--

Could anyone help me with these questions about multiple air traffic control towers or perhaps forward them to someone you know (tower controller/air traffic manager) who is able to help me with these questions?

We, an Aerospace Laboratory, have been asked for Human Factors advice on how to use a possible second ATC tower for an international airport.

As a first step we're looking at how other airports use or used multiple towers. Therefore I have some general questions to anyone working as a tower controller/air traffic manager at an airport with more than one control tower:

1) Why does your airport have two control towers? Since when?

2) How is the division of responsibilities between the towers? How is the division for handling ground operations/runways/airspaces?

3) How are the towers coordinating the taxiways and handovers? Do they all see the same ground radar picture with/without labels? Do you have a document with the operational concept that you can share with us?

4) Which risks of having two towers have been identified and how were they handled?

5) Are there any (unforeseen?) human factors issues with this special type of operations that we should be aware of?

6) Any other "do's and don'ts" when using multiple towers?

We are trying to contact airports that we know use multiple towers. So far we've found:
- DFW, TX USA
- OAK, CA USA
- LAX, CA USA (used to have two towers once, right?)
- Paris Charles de Gaulle, France
- Bruxelles, Belgium

Somebody has had contact with Bruxelles already and we are in contact with DFW but we would really appreciate any help to get in contact with the ATC of the other airports in the list (name, e-mail, phone).

Do you know of any other international airports that use or used multiple towers besides these?

Thanks very much in advance,
Jacco

[CUNIM]

I tried to contact you directly, but not possible. First of all I do have contacts at CDG as I have been looking at their problems of triple tower ops. I do have some thoughts, which you may have seen at ATC Maastricht if you were there. Have a look at www.atcmaastricht.com at the second paragraph related to exclusives - we are the first sub-paragraph. If you are wanting to expand the discussion, call me on my profile email. I presume that you are looking at the problem of the new runway at EHAM which is 6 km distant.

[Scott Voigt]

Hello Scientist;

As far as I know, LAX has never had two operating control towers. They have a new one and an old one <G>.

DFW has three towers but use only two of them at a time. The center tower was used for midnight operations but I believe that they staff the two outboard towers now for the midnight shifts... I am sure that you can find someone at DFW who could answer your questions... The main reason that they built two towers though is the size of the airport and being able to see it all.

As for OAK. One tower is for the comercial ops and the other one is for the General Aviation side. They both use different runways.

regards

[FWA NATCA]

For help with your research call the National Air Traffic Controllers Association National Office and ask for the Safety and Technology department. You can get the phone number off our web site at http://www.natca.org

Mike

[canberra]

dharhan in sauadi arabia has two towers. one is for civil other for military.