Trainee air traffic controllers graduate

Airservices Australia has today marked the graduation of 27 trainee air traffic controllers, who have obtained their first licence endorsement from its Learning Academy in Melbourne.

The 27 trainee controllers, who range in age from early 20s to mid-50s and have joined Airservices from diverse careers within industries including sales, construction and military, have obtained their endorsements over the past 10 months. Licence endorsements are regulatory authorisations which permit controllers to work in particular air traffic control roles under Australia’s Civil Aviation Safety Regulations.

Airservices General Manager Air Traffic Control Jason Harfield said the 27 men and women represented the future of the organisation.

“We are currently recruiting and training around 100 controllers a year as we prepare for the retirement of a significant number of our workforce over the next five to 10 years,”
Harfield said.

“This latest group of controllers to graduate from our academy will play a key role in the rapid growth of air traffic predicted to occur in Australian skies to 2020 and beyond.”
 
The 27 ATC graduates will now continue to develop their careers with Airservices national workforce of around 900 controllers stationed at air traffic control towers, en route centres and terminal control units around the country.