Paris CDG Digital Tower Goes Live with AI Upgrade

Paris Charles de Gaulle activated a full digital tower with AI on September 20, 2025, marking a first for a major EU hub.

Eurocontrol (the European Organisation for the Safety of Air Navigation) reported overnight on September 20, 2025 that the Paris CDG digital tower upgrade is now operational. The project — part of France’s SESAR (Single European Sky ATM Research) deployment — replaces traditional visual control methods with a fully digitised system meant to support air traffic control (ATC) teams at the airport.

The new setup integrates AI-based traffic sequencing and short-term weather prediction to smooth airport flows and reduce delays. Early operational data show an average 15% reduction in taxi times and noticeable gains in runway throughput during peak morning departures, according to the report.

Why the Paris CDG digital tower matters

Moving to a digital tower at a major international hub like Paris CDG changes how controllers receive and act on information: camera arrays and sensors feed consolidated, processed imagery and forecasts into AI tools that prioritise arrivals, departures and surface movements. The aim is not to replace controllers but to give them faster, clearer situational awareness so they can manage traffic more efficiently and safely.

Paris CDG digital tower — live since September 20, 2025, with AI sequencing and weather forecasting.
Initial impact: ~15% shorter average taxi times.
Operational benefit: improved runway throughput during peak morning departures.
Deployment plan: rollouts planned for Orly and Lyon by 2026 under France’s SESAR programme.

For travellers and airlines, the practical result should be fewer surface delays and smoother morning peaks. The upgrade also serves as a real-world testbed for digital tower tech across Europe; results from CDG will shape how and when other airports adopt similar systems.