The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has announced that the first digital air traffic control towers in the US are officially operational, bringing new technology first to smaller airports in Florida and Alaska as the Trump administration presses ahead with updating the country’s ageing aviation infrastructure.

The systems are now online at the Bartow executive airport (KBOW) in Florida and the Kenai municipal airport (PAEN) in Alaska, with five additional regional airports slated to receive the technology next.

The digital towers use advanced camera systems and digital displays to give air traffic controllers a continuous, 360-degree view of airport operations, including runways, taxiways and surrounding airspace, according to the agency.

The FAA maintains that the technology is not intended to replace human controllers.…