Hilton Head Island Airport (HXD) today announced completion of the install of the uAvionix FlightLine Airborne Position Reference Tool (APRT), a state-of-the-art situational awareness system for the airport’s air traffic control tower.

The ATC tower at Hilton Head is one of approximately 265 towers nationwide that are not owned or operated by the FAA. Owned by Beaufort County and operated by Robinson Aviation Inc (RVA), HXD’s tower serves growing commercial, corporate, general aviation and military traffic, especially during spring and summer seasons.

HXD’s tower was previously one of the 91 ATC towers in the country that operated without any surveillance tools to see airborne traffic, relying solely on visual observation and radio communications. This limitation increased controller workload and operational risk while reducing overall efficiency of air traffic operations.

The FAA certified uAvionix FlightLine APRT system which delivers real-time airspace surveillance through receivers installed on the tower, provides controllers with a live display of aircraft positions, greatly enhancing awareness and supporting safer, more efficient operations.

“As controllers, we are proud to be the first RVA airport to have this system operational,” said Bill Nascimento, Air Traffic Manager for RVA at Hilton Head Tower. “It delivers a significant enhancement to safety for our airport and operators and brings our tower technology on par with other ATC towers in the country.”

Beaufort County has invested in a wider set of upgrades to the airport tower, “Providing a safer airport for our passengers and pilots is of great importance to us,” said Dan Neeson, Airport Operations Manager for Hilton Head Island Airport. “Providing our controllers with state of the art capabilities is a top priority for us."

“uAvionix partnered with HXD to conduct this install for RVA’s team, the first of a growing set of deployments across RVA towers,” said Cyriel Kronenburg, Vice President Airports & ATM of uAvionix. “Leveraging the same technology successfully deployed under the Surface Awareness Initiative for the FAA in Savannah, this is another completed upgrade in support of the modernization of our National ATC system.”

“The Airport is committed to the safest, most efficient operations possible. We thank the FAA, uAvionix, and our partners at RVA for their critical roles in achieving this,” said Jon Rembold, A.A.E., Airport Director.