Airservices Australia has presented awards to two air traffic controllers who were nominated by their peers for having gone "above and beyond" the normal ATC duties.
The awards were made on Monday 20 October to mark the International Day of the Air Traffic Controller.
The winners were Peter Hatzipavlis, an en route controller in Melbourne, and Anthony MacBeth from Tamworth Tower.
Hatzipavlis was recognised for his efforts in assisting an inexperienced pilot land in severe turbulence, and MacBeth for his dedication to representing and promoting Airservices in his local community through pilot forums, local events and careers exhibitions.
Airservices Executive General Manager Air Traffic Control, Greg Hood, said acknowledging the international day was a great chance to pay tribute to the commitment of controllers and operational staff to their safe and efficient delivery of air traffic management.
“We have controllers on duty every hour of every day, 365 days a year to provide a vital service in helping travellers reach their destination safely and efficiently.
“I would like to thank all of our controllers and the staff that support them for the job that they do in keeping our aviation system running smoothly and making air travel one of the safest modes of transport in the world.”
Airservices currently has 1000 controllers covering 11% of the world's airspace, and four million flights per year.