Airport Technology
Keri Allan
31 July 2024
Despite not reaching a crisis point, the aviation sector does have a problem with ATC shortages.
The air traffic controller shortage is an industry-wide problem; however, the scale of the issue differs depending on who you speak to.
NATS, for example, which provides air traffic control services to 14 UK airports, says it doesn’t have a shortage of controllers. At the same time, the stance of the trade union Prospect is that it’s manageable, but a problem nonetheless. Prospect states that the UK currently has fewer air traffic control officers (ATCOs) than in 2019 and that the pace of retirements is causing pressure to rise.
According to the International Federation of Air Traffic Controllers’ Associations (IFATCA), there’s an obvious shortage of controllers in almost every part of the world. Patricia Gilbert, IFATCA’s Americas executive VP says Asia Pacific is the least affected, but across Africa, the Middle East, Europe, and the Americas, ATCO shortages are a clear cause for concern.
Her European counterpart, Frédéric Deleau, seconds this, stating that in 2023 there was a reported shortage of between 700-1,000 ATCOs across Europe.