Trainee Air Traffic Controllers Air Traffic Controllers are at the heart of our business, guiding pilots to keep aircraft flying safely, efficiently and on time.
Trainee Air Traffic Controllers
A career like no other
Air
Traffic Controllers are at the heart of our business, guiding pilots to keep
aircraft flying safely, efficiently and on time.
Air traffic control is a career like no other.
Once you’ve completed your training, you’ll be part of a community of
highly-trained professionals, who are essential to the smooth and safe running
of the aviation industry. 24 hours a day, they help to keep some of the busiest
airspace in the world moving. The work is challenging and demanding, but it’s
immensely rewarding too.
What makes a good
Controller?
People
come to this career from all kinds of backgrounds. So while you may have
knowledge or experience of aviation, it’s by no means essential. It’s the kind
of job in which your attitude and aptitude is far more important than your
specific background.
About the role
The
appeal of a career in air traffic control is stronger than ever. Each year,
thousands of people express an interest in overseeing the UK’s busy airspace.
Inevitably,
only a small proportion of people make it through our selection procedures. But
the opportunities for those who do are greater now than at any time in the
past.
Not only do we offer even
more support for development and structured progression, but the international
expansion of NATS adds another potential dimension to your career too. And
that’s in addition to the attractive salary and benefits package which comes as
part of this important job.
Understanding the role of
the Controller
Pilots
need active support from air traffic control to fly safely. Air Traffic
Controllers (ATCOs) are also essential to the efficiency of airports and the
airline industry. With the ever-increasing volume of traffic, managing flights
is a complex and sometimes pressurised job.
As
an ATCO, you’ll be using radar and other technology to track planes ‘en route’
between airports and keep in touch with pilots. Alternatively, you’ll be
liaising with the planes on approach.
If
you’re in charge of the airspace between airports, you’ll be called an Area or
Terminal Controller. And if you’re helping pilots land, the role is described
as an Approach or Aerodrome Controller.
Area/Terminal Controllers
You’re
likely to be based in one of our area control centres, although you might also
be located at an airport tower. These roles will see you handling domestic
traffic and planes flying through UK airspace.
Our
Controllers at Swanwick deal with flights approaching London airports and those
at Prestwick are responsible for aircraft flying across the Atlantic.
Approach/Aerodrome
Controllers
As
an Approach Controller, you’ll be working at an airport, often in a Control
Tower and guiding planes on approach, ensuring they’re ordered in the most
efficient way.
The
job of the Aerodrome Controller is to take over as they come into land. At a
large airport, this role may be split between traffic that’s in the air and
planes that are already on the ground.
Who should apply?
It’s
not possible to say there is one particular type of person who makes an ideal
ATCO. People apply – and are accepted – from all kinds of backgrounds.
These
online games will give you a sense of whether you might have the right kind of
aptitude and skills for the role.
They
reflect the need to work under pressure, think in three dimensions and process
information quickly and accurately.
There
are also strict rules about who is eligibleto apply. But if you think you might have the skills, and are eligible,
then please explore the other pages in this section and think about
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