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<p>Air Traffic Control is an essential part of the aviation industry. Defined as ‘the ground-based personnel and equipment concerned with controlling and monitoring air traffic in a specific area’, Air Traffic Controllers are highly skilled professionals who keep the airspace and airports moving smoothly and safely. The training can be hard and the work is demanding but it an immensely rewarding job.</p>
<p>To get your Air Traffic Control career off the ground, you’ll first need to get your license from the National Air Traffic Services (NATS) which can take up to three years and you train on the job. There are a handful of basic requirements to become a trainee controller. You need to be 18 years or older and have at least 5 GCSEs at grades 9-4 (A* to C) or equivalent, including English and Maths. You will also have to have security clearance.</p>
<p>There are three types of Air Traffic Controller roles and what your job entails will depend on the area you choose. The jobs are:</p>
<ul>
<li>area controller - based in a regional control centre, you’ll track and guide aircraft through your airspace</li>
<li>approach controller - you will manage aircraft as they approach the airport to land</li>
<li>aerodrome controller - you will guide pilots, helping them to land, park and line up for take-off. This job is done from a control tower</li>
</ul>
<p>As an Air Traffic Controller, you will also be the first point of contact for emergency distress calls. As such, it is essential that you can work calmly under pressure, you are able to interpret information to evaluate the situation and you have excellent communication skills in order to guide and instruct pilots.</p>
<p>If you’re looking for a 9-5 job, Air Traffic Control won’t suit you. The role is shift based and you will usually work 40-hour weeks, with the hours being made up over days, nights, weekends and public holidays. Generally, your shift will be broken into two-hour segments guiding planes with a half hour break.</p>
<p>At the start of your career, trainees will earn a basic salary of £17,000 but Air Traffic Controllers can earn over £80,000 plus shift pay.</p>
<p>Help your Air Traffic Control career take off and<a href="https://jobs.flightglobal.com/staticpages/100073/how-to-land-a-high-flying-job-in-aviation/"><strong> <u>download our new guide ‘How to land a high-flying job in aviation’ now</u></strong></a></p>
<p>Air Traffic Control is an essential part of the aviation industry. Defined as ‘the ground-based personnel and equipment concerned with controlling and monitoring air traffic in a specific area’, Air Traffic Controllers are highly skilled professionals who keep the airspace and airports moving smoothly and safely. The training can be hard and the work is demanding but it an immensely rewarding job.</p>
<p>To get your Air Traffic Control career off the ground, you’ll first need to get your license from the National Air Traffic Services (NATS) which can take up to three years and you train on the job. There are a handful of basic requirements to become a trainee controller. You need to be 18 years or older and have at least 5 GCSEs at grades 9-4 (A* to C) or equivalent, including English and Maths. You will also have to have security clearance.</p>
<p>There are three types of Air Traffic Controller roles and what your job entails will depend on the area you choose. The jobs are:</p>
<ul>
<li>area controller - based in a regional control centre, you’ll track and guide aircraft through your airspace</li>
<li>approach controller - you will manage aircraft as they approach the airport to land</li>
<li>aerodrome controller - you will guide pilots, helping them to land, park and line up for take-off. This job is done from a control tower</li>
</ul>
<p>As an Air Traffic Controller, you will also be the first point of contact for emergency distress calls. As such, it is essential that you can work calmly under pressure, you are able to interpret information to evaluate the situation and you have excellent communication skills in order to guide and instruct pilots.</p>
<p>If you’re looking for a 9-5 job, Air Traffic Control won’t suit you. The role is shift based and you will usually work 40-hour weeks, with the hours being made up over days, nights, weekends and public holidays. Generally, your shift will be broken into two-hour segments guiding planes with a half hour break.</p>
<p>At the start of your career, trainees will earn a basic salary of £17,000 but Air Traffic Controllers can earn over £80,000 plus shift pay.</p>
<p>Help your Air Traffic Control career take off and<a href="https://jobs.flightglobal.com/staticpages/100073/how-to-land-a-high-flying-job-in-aviation/"><strong> <u>download our new guide ‘How to land a high-flying job in aviation’ now</u></strong></a></p>