WHAT DOES THE AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL OFFICER’S JOB INVOLVE?

Air traffic control officer’s (ATCO’s) job involves maintaining a safe, orderly and expeditious flow of the air traffic and preventing, in their area of jurisdiction, occurrence of the events that might lead to compromising of the safety.

By applying certain separation rules and continuous monitoring of the traffic situation information on their radar data displays, air traffic control officers move all aircraft efficiently and expediently from one portion of the airspace into another.

To perform their job satisfactorily, ATCOs have to be well trained and capable of identifying potential conflicts quickly, as well as of promptly making appropriate decisions and prioritizing their tasks.

Because ATCOs simultaneously perform a large number of tasks while on duty, ATC profession is often regarded as one of the most difficult professions today, requiring special skills, knowledge and competence.

Typical activities of an air traffic control officer involve:

Keeping radar and radio contact with the aircraft;
Controlling and directing aircraft movement in the aerodrome control zone and en-route (on the airways);
Issuing instructions to the aircraft in different phases of the flight;
Separating aircraft by applying radar and non-radar separation standards;
Issuing information on the condition of the navigation aids, meteorological information, as well as other relevant information necessary for the safe flight;
Identifying and recognising unusual/emergency situations that may compromise air traffic safety;
Making coordination with the adjacent sectors and air traffic controls, and handing over the data concerning the aircraft.

THE SKILLS AND ABILITIES NECESSARY FOR BECOMING SUCCESSFUL AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL OFFICER

In order to be successfully performed, air traffic control officer’s job requires the possession of certain predispositions, skills and abilities. Required skills and abilities are as follows:

spatial orientation (awareness)
memory
quick thinking
quick decision making
numeric skills
team-work
ability to work in shifts
reliability
adaptability
responsiveness
excellent physical condition

RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION OF THE CANDIDATES

The specific nature of the ATCO’s job led to the high-level definition of the requirements and criteria applied in the candidates’ recruitment and selection procedure for the purpose of their enrollment into training for appropriate license/rating acquirement. Therefore, the team of authorised experts should be involved in the assessment and analysis of the candidate’s competences.

Serbia and Montenegro Air Traffic Services Agency Ltd. has established several phases of the recruitment and selection procedure:

pre-selection, i.e. determining whether the candidates fulfill formal and legal conditions of the competition
assessment of the English language proficiency level
competence tests
medical examination
interview with the Agency’s selection commission

The candidates, who fulfill the criteria in all phases of the selection, will commence with their training in SMATSA Ltd. Training Centre.

TRAINING OF THE AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL OFFICERS

Training of the air traffic control officers is conducted in the accredited centres for training of authorised aviation personnel, according to the defined and approved training plans and programmes. There are different training plans and programmes depending on the type of license/rating, i.e. whether the trainee is trained for work in aerodrome, approach or area air traffic control unit. Irrespective of the type of license/rating, the training is comprised of the theoretical and practical part.

With regard to the fact that the aircraft can be controlled with or without radar equipment, many ATC systems still use procedural air traffic control (controlling of the aircraft without radar), in circumstances in which flight levels do not justify the use of radar, when the installation of radar is not feasible, or when its work is interrupted, and when it is possible to apply procedural control.

Within its organisational structure, SMATSA Ltd. has a Training Centre for training of the air traffic control officers in accordance with the most advanced international practice, as well as with the requirements set by EUROCONTROL, ICAO and European regulations (Regulatory Bodies).