Croatia Control (HKZP), Croatia’s air navigation service provider, is preparing to build a new multipurpose centre in Zemunik Donji, near Zadar Airport. The project, valued at more than €12 million, will provide new operational, administrative and training facilities, as well as introduce one of the most significant technological developments in Croatian air traffic control: a digital control tower where controllers will no longer work at the top of the tower but will instead monitor traffic from specially equipped rooms inside the new centre.

Zadar County Prefect Josip Bilaver announced that the building permit for the new complex has been issued, funding has been secured, and the process of selecting a construction contractor is already underway. According to available documentation, the estimated value of construction works is €12,344,500 excluding VAT, with construction expected to take 18 months. The contract is scheduled to begin in March 2027, which, provided the planned deadlines are met, would allow construction to be completed during the second half of 2028.

The new building will have a gross floor area of approximately 5,573 square metres and will accommodate the operational and administrative facilities of Croatia Control’s Zadar branch, which are currently located inside the Zadar Airport building. The project also includes facilities for air traffic controller training, along with supporting technical and service infrastructure.

A control tower without controllers at the top

One of the most distinctive features of the new centre will be the implementation of digital, or remote, tower technology (Remote Digital Tower). Unlike conventional control towers, where air traffic controllers monitor aircraft movements from a glazed cab at the top of the structure, the Zadar project introduces a different operational concept.

According to information about the planned concept, the new tower will not feature conventional controller working positions at its top. Instead, it will be equipped with cameras directed towards key areas of the airport’s operational surfaces, while controllers will work in operational rooms on the lower floors of the new centre.

This arrangement will allow visual monitoring of aircraft, manoeuvring areas and other airport activities through digital displays rather than direct observation through control tower windows. Digital tower systems can incorporate high-resolution panoramic views, the ability to zoom in on specific areas, additional operational information overlays and integration with other air traffic control systems.

The Zadar project is expected to serve as a pilot implementation of this technology in Croatia. Importantly, a remote digital tower does not mean automated air traffic control or the replacement of controllers with artificial intelligence. Decisions will continue to be made by licensed air traffic controllers, while the technology changes how they receive the visual and other information required for safe traffic operations.

Croatia Control has been considering this concept for several years. As early as 2022, the company’s then-director, Vlado Bagarić, announced plans to establish the first such system in Zadar, noting that the project was particularly complex because Zemunik Airport serves both civilian and military operations. Smaller Croatian aerodromes, including Brač, Lošinj, Čepin and Osijek, were mentioned as possible locations for subsequent implementations.

The project also includes training facilities, giving Zemunik an additional role in the education and training of air traffic controllers. Beyond infrastructure modernisation, the investment could therefore contribute to the creation of highly skilled jobs and the further development of Croatia’s domestic air traffic controller training capabilities.

Construction could begin in 2027

Croatia Control launched the public procurement procedure for the construction of the multipurpose centre in early October. The procurement is being conducted as a two-stage restricted procedure, with detailed project documentation made available to selected bidders. This approach is also linked to the sensitivity of certain technical information, given the complex’s location in an area used for both civilian and military aviation activities.

Although the contract is scheduled to begin in March 2027, the exact start date of construction will depend on the completion of the procurement procedure and the signing of the contract with the selected contractor. Once construction is complete, the project will proceed to the installation of operational equipment and digital tower systems, followed by testing and the necessary verification and approval procedures before operational use can begin.

The construction of the new centre is expected to provide Croatia Control with infrastructure that will enable a different organisation of air traffic control operations and the gradual introduction of remote digital tower technology. For Zadar, the project represents an investment extending well beyond the local needs of the airport, while for Croatia’s air traffic management system, it could mark the beginning of broader adoption of digital solutions that are already gaining ground in European aviation.