Air traffic controller

Air traffic controller job description: Typical employers | Qualifications and training | Key skills | Useful links | Find jobs and courses

The 220 million passengers who pass through UK airspace every year rely on air traffic controllers to get them to their destination safely and efficiently.

Controllers maintain radio/radar contact with aircraft pilots within designated areas, providing them with advice, instructions and information about weather conditions and safe flight, ascent and descent paths.

Air traffic controllers specialise in either area control, approach or aerodrome control, and specialisation will determine the typical nature of communications with aircraft. Although it is possible to state a preference, the specialisation offered to students embarking on a training course may depend on the company's needs.

The job demands a high level of responsibility and can be stressful, but offers high financial rewards and a sense of achievement. Mobility in terms of location is a common requirement. Opportunities may exist in Northern America, and also the Middle East and European Union due to the status of English as the international language of air traffic.

Typical employers of air traffic controllers

• National Air Traffic Services (NATS)
• Armed forces
• Regional airports

Qualifications and training required

Air traffic control is open to people from all backgrounds, with aptitudes rather than qualifications granting entry to training courses. Typical requirements include five GCSEs (or equivalent) including maths and English, all at grade C or above, and a minimum age of 18 at application.

A course in the relevant theory must be completed, which will take a minimum of four to eleven months depending on specialisation. Supervised validation training is then necessary, and takes between 18 months and two years. In order to achieve validation students must pass a final exam, from which point pay grades and career prospects advance rapidly; within three years it is possible to earn between £40,000 and £50,000. Training courses offering a basic salary, accommodation allowance and benefits package are available to students, with the salary increasing to £15,000 - £18,000 during validation training and around £30,000 upon validation.

Although education to degree level is not required, experience of further study can be helpful as the workload can be very demanding.

Key skills for air traffic controllers

As controllers must be able to understand and quickly analyse complex radar and computerised flight data, and respond appropriately, the following are essential:

• Good eye sight and colour vision
• good physical and mental health - applicants with certain conditions such as Epilepsy may not be permitted to training programmes
• Problem solving skills
• Decisiveness
• The ability to remain calm when under pressure – particularly when dealing with emergency situations
• Self-discipline
• Ease with technology
• Spatial awareness.