As of Thursday 23 February, Umeå Airport will be remotely controlled alternately, and by the end of the year, Malmö is also expected to switch to alternate remote control.

But LFV would have preferred to see all planes remotely controlled from Stockholm.

- It's a solution we chose because we don't have enough air traffic controllers in Stockholm, we would have liked all air traffic controllers to come with us to Stockholm, but that's not the case, says Per Kjellander, operational manager at the Civil Aviation Authority.

In Umeå there are currently 10 positions as air traffic controllers which will eventually disappear.

- Everyone has been offered to move their position to Stockholm, but some have declined, says Bengt-Ove Lindgren, airport manager at Umeå Airport.

In 2017, the Norwegian Civil Aviation Authority and Swedavia signed an agreement on remote air traffic management for four airports.

In 2021, Kiruna Airport and Åre Östersund became remotely controlled.

The tower will be phased out completely

Since before, a number of airports, which are not state-owned, are remotely controlled - Örnsköldsvik, Sundsvall Timrå, Linköping and Sälen Airport.

Umeå's airport manager Bengt-Olov Lindgren is positive that the traffic will be controlled remotely.

- This will mean greater flexibility and it will be better financially.

Norrland's airports are often closed at night, but now they can be opened more quickly if, for example, the ambulance flight wants to land, he says and continues:

- As soon as the plane is 1.5 miles from the airport, they control from Arlanda already today.

Even pilots don't tell the difference if it's remotely controlled or fired from a tower locally.

Will the tower remain at all in the longer term?

- No, it will be switch-controlled for a period, but eventually the tower in Umeå will be phased out completely, says Bengt-Ove Lindgren.

Hear how the Swedish Civil Aviation Authority views the risks of remote control and how you as a traveler are affected in the clip.