To make a more meaningful relevance of the 64th International Day of Air Traffic Controllers-ATC- (October 20), air travellers must get to understand the job and profession of ATCs.

Celebration of the workforce:

The day commemorates the formation of IFATCA (International Federation of Air Traffic Controllers Associations) on October 20, 1961, to celebrate the 24x7 hours put in by men and women ATC working to ensure that air travel is the safest possible mode of transport. The nature of their job is to always keep aircraft safe, including the take-off, landing and when they are cruising.

Global significance of an ATC:

The International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) mandates a structured, operationally effective, globally standardised and harmonised air traffic management framework, supported by cost-effective and sustainable communications, navigation and surveillance (CNS) infrastructure. It also specifies international professional standards and competencies that every ATC must possess.

Air traffic management (ATM) system:

The fundamental objective of ATM is to ensure utmost safety of aircraft at every level. Air traffic controllers integrate the ever-growing traffic with scarce air space - safely, economically and efficiently — through the provision of air traffic control and flight information service infrastructure, with the help of various navigational aids, and established navigational procedures.

Components of ATM System and its structure- A: Air Traffic Services (ATS): These are provided by air traffic controllers to prevent collisions by applying aircraft separation standards and issue timely clearances and instructions that create an orderly flow of air traffic. ATS relies on tactical interventions by the controllers and direct communication with pilots during the entire flight.

ATS service consists of three sub-services:

1. Area control service: Area control centres established at various strategic points provide area control service to enroute flights while they are cruising at set altitudes ensuring safe separation between flights.

2. Approach control service: It is a vital link between an area control centre and the aerodrome control tower. This service is provided for aircraft approaching a particular airport, for arriving, departing or flying near it. It ensures safe and efficient transition between enroute airspace and the airport’s airspace with proper separation of aircraft during descent, climb, and holding for landing or take-off.

3. Aerodrome control service: This is provided by an ATC tower at the airport to manage aircraft on the ground and in the immediate vicinity of an airport. Its function is to ensure safe, orderly, and efficient flow of traffic at that airport by preventing collisions between aircraft, ground vehicles, and obstructions, by controlling all movements on the runways and taxiways, clearances for taxiing, take offs and landings.

A. Air traffic flow management (ATFM): The objective of ATFM is to efficiently regulate the flow of aircraft in order to avoid congestion at busy sectors, and airports, by staggering the demand of airlines over time and space and by ensuring better planning of the air traffic control capacities at those sectors/airports. The demand can be managed by imposing CTOTs [Calculated take Off Time], requiring certain classes of flights to use certain specific routes. Similarly, supply can also be augmented by appropriate sector management, like increasing the number of ATCs working simultaneously.

B. Airspace management (ASM): The purpose of ASM is to manage scarce airspace as efficiently as possible to satisfy its civilian and military users. Air space is managed by proper structuring and allocation.

Conclusion:

Thus, the job of air traffic controllers is to ensure safe, secure, efficient, cost-effective, environment-friendly flight, under the robust Air Traffic Management system with their training, experience and capabilities.

Remember to thank an air traffic controller the next time you fly.

The writer is a retired Joint General Manager, Airports Authority of India)