Ever since career days in middle school, Tom Kristian has known that he wanted to work at an airport. He has previously been a personal trainer but later chose to become an AFIS officer – something he has never regretted!
At Bodø Airport, we meet Tom Kristian, who works as an AFIS officer. In the background, we hear a passenger plane taking off in the direction of Leknes. Shortly after, two fighter jets are seen heading to an exercise. In other words, just another ordinary day at the airport in the largest city in Nordland.
- I have no previous aviation background, but I knew I wanted to become an AFIS officer nevertheless. My interest in this was sparked when I was in Sandnessjøen and saw the control tower and the airport itself. In addition, I was introduced to the profession of AFIS officer during career days in middle school. That's when it all started, says Tom Kristian.
The building we are standing in used to be a café, but now houses office space and a Remote Tower Center. This is a remote-controlled tower center that will provide information and approach services to several of Avinor's airports. The first five airports will be remotely controlled from here. Eventually, at least 15 airports will be managed from a new tower center being built a stone's throw away from the airport.
- This is a very exciting project that offers great opportunities moving forward. Both in terms of career and for the service itself. There's a lot of new and exciting things here, as well as a lot of new technology we haven't had before, says Tom Kristian.
- The new technology will further assist us in the context of air traffic services. Here we have infrared cameras, radar displays, and target tracking on the screens so that we can see birds and movements much more easily. Everything is an adjustment, but once you come in here and see how it works, it goes very well, says Tom Kristian.
In connection with the new Bodø airport, the airport will be relocated further out compared to where it is today. The jets stationed further out will be removed, and the area will be utilized better.
- Bodø is a very nice city. There are good hiking opportunities here, nice fishing lakes, and trails. In addition, many new apartments are being built, facilitating Bodø airport to become a regional hub for the region. Bodø also offers several activities, for example, a visit to the Aviation Museum, where we have a lot of fine history about things that happened around Bodø airport in connection with the war, says Tom Kristian.
Outside the remote control tower center, there are office spaces where several AFIS officers work on the project.
- We have recently hired several AFIS officers here in Bodø at the remote control tower center, so we are starting to have quite a good environment. It is very good that we have so many around us to exchange experiences, have a coffee, or just hear how things are going, says Tom Kristian.
He thinks the development with remote control tower centers provides a greater opportunity to share experiences with each other.
- In the conventional towers, we are only one working at any given time, and in quiet moments there might be little happening, so it's good to have someone else to rely on, and maybe plan the workday with. If a situation arises during the day where you need some professional help or help with answering phones, there are always people who can support. It is a very good security for an AFIS officer to know that you have such competence around you, concludes Tom Kristian.
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