The job of an air traffic controller

Have you ever dreamt of having an Airbus A380 or a Boeing 747 at your fingertips? If so and if you have a genuine interest in aviation, why not become an air traffic controller?

Air traffic controllers: guardians of the skies

There are two main types of air traffic controllers, also known as controllers or ATCos:

• tower controllers (who ensure the safe landing, departure and taxiing of aircraft at airports), and
• area (or en-route) controllers (who ensure the safe and smooth flow of traffic along airways at higher altitudes).

Since we are an en-route air traffic control centre (we control aircraft at high altitudes), there are no tower controllers at EUROCONTROL’s Maastricht Upper Area Control Centre.

Keeping aircraft safely apart

As an air traffic controller, your job will be to ensure that aircraft fly safely apart from each other. To achieve this, a minimum of 1,000 ft (304.8 m) vertically or 5 nautical miles (9.26 km) laterally is maintained between aircraft. Although safety is the top priority of air traffic controllers, the job does not stop there.

With air traffic growing every year, it is crucial that aircraft fly as smoothly as possible, with maximum punctuality. This is also ensured by air traffic controllers.

Controllers at Maastricht work in a control room, on what are known as “sectors”. These sectors are divided intro smaller portions and each portion is under the responsibility of a team or two, sometimes three, controllers.

Their tools are radar screens (displaying radar and flight data information), a radiotelephony system, telephones and computers.

Enthusiastic professionals

The job carries a high level of responsibility and thus requires a high level of professionalism.

Specific skills and training are required to work in a safety-critical environment. But job satisfaction is very high; air traffic controllers remain enthusiastic professionals throughout their careers.