20 October, the International Day of the Air Traffic Controller, celebrates the men and women who 24/7 help make air travel the safest possible mode of transport.
It’s an incredible profession with a huge responsibility – the safe separation of air traffic requires total concentration and quick decision-making while managing multiple flights at a time.
Every day up to 37,000 flights are safely handled through Europe’s busy skies by its ATCOs – including the controllers at EUROCONTROL’s Maastricht Upper Area Control Centre, which manages the upper airspace over Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg and north-west Germany – one of Europe’s busiest and most complex airspaces.
