After over five months of delays, the Northern Colorado Regional Airport will test out a pilot air traffic control system this March.

The new technology part of a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) pilot program could be the key to luring commercial flights back to the Northern Colorado Regional Airport located in Loveland — once it gets approval for takeoff.

The airport is considered a key part of the envisioned Downtown NOCO development.

A lack of a traditional FAA-certified air traffic control tower is what Allegiant Airlines cited when pulling its service from the Northern Colorado Regional Airport in October.

The new technology being tested out would effectively replace the multi-million dollar air traffic control tower required for commercial flights with a more cost effective remote system.

The system combines camera input with radar input, allowing for control of air traffic from a remote location. A similar pilot system is also being tested out at an airport in Leesburg, Virgina.

The airport began training air traffic controllers with occasional “advisory services” March 3.

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