Private operator ACR takes over towers at five additional Swedish airports

The deregulation of air traffic services (ATS) at Swedish airports has taken off well and since year-end the private Swedish company ACR Aviation Capacity Resources is operating the control towers at nine of the country’s 36 airports. ACR more than doubled their business when the company on January 1st, took over the towers at the airports in Kalmar, Jönköping, Norrköping, Karlstad and Skellefteå. The background to the takeover is that ACR won the joint procurement for the five airports last year. Since 2010 when the new Swedish Civil Aviation Act came into force the airport owners have the opportunity to procure the local air traffic services. Earlier the stately owned operator LFV had a monopoly on this business. ACR already operates the air traffic services at the airports in Västerås, Växjö and Örebro, since March 1st, 2011 and at Trollhättan airport since January 1st, 2012. ACR leads both civil and military flights and meet the same safety requirements as other certified providers in Europe.