PT World
Hazel King
27 Nov 2025
A new virtual tower (vTWR) has gone into operation at Hamad International Airport (HIA) – the first large-scale digital tower system to be certified by safety regulators in the Middle East.
The vTWR, which officially went live in February 2025, has been provided by Searidge Technologies in partnership with ADB Safegate and NATS. The companies have collaborated closely with the Qatar Civil Aviation Authority (QCAA) and the HIA team to support the Western Taxiway and Stand Development Project – an ambitious expansion that significantly increased the complexity of airside operations.
Due to the physical distance and line-of-sight limitations from the traditional ATC tower, QCAA adopted a hybrid digital tower. This solved the line-of-sight issues without needing to build a secondary tower, all while maintaining the highest levels of safety, surveillance and efficiency, according to Searidge.
Virtual tower goes live at Hamad International Airport - Passenger Terminal Today - 27 Nov 2025
