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Air Traffic Controller

One of the most critical ground-based jobs is that of an Air Traffic Controller. In non-pandemic times the U.K. sees around 2.5 million flights and around 250 million people fly through its airspace. Air Traffic Controllers work with pilots to make those flights happen quickly, efficiently and, most importantly, safely.

Training Costs: Training costs covered by NATS
Starting Salary: £18,000 pa
Potential Salary: £44,000+ pa

Trend: POSITIVE. There is currently a significant shortage of Air Traffic Controllers, local sickness causes serious flow restrictions which causes knock on issues on with airports at home and abroad.
Trend: upwards
One of the most critical ground-based jobs is that of an Air Traffic Controller. In non-pandemic times the U.K. sees around 2.5 million flights and around 250 million people fly through its airspace. Air Traffic Controllers work with pilots to make those flights happen quickly, efficiently and, most importantly, safely.

Training Costs: Training costs covered by NATS
Starting Salary: £18,000 pa
Potential Salary: £44,000+ pa

Trend: POSITIVE. There is currently a significant shortage of Air Traffic Controllers, local sickness causes serious flow restrictions which causes knock on issues on with airports at home and abroad.
Salary: £18,000 - £44,000
Qualifications: GCSE A-Levels

Rewards

  • High levels of job security with good remuneration
  • Training costs covered as part of employment

Challenges

  • High-stress working environment
  • Shift work and anti-social hours
  • Highly competitive process for selection

Next Steps

Qualifications for training (Academic):

For a position with National Air Traffic Services (NATS) you will usually need at least 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C) and either A Levels or equivalent.

You must be at least 18 years of age and fit enough to meet the Civil Aviation Authority’s medical requirements.

Personal

Being an Air Traffic Controller requires high levels of intense concentration and therefore you must have excellent verbal communication skills and the ability to think clearly using logic and reasoning. The ability to solve complex problems, use your judgement to make decisions under pressure whilst being thorough and paying attention to detail are critical skills you must possess to be an Air Traffic Controller.

Next Steps – Training

The selection process is tough involving two stages of online assessments covering cognitive and decision making as well as situational judgements and a personality questionnaire. If you pass these two stages you continue to a 1 day assessment centre which includes an interview and group exercises.

If you pass these stages you will be required to relocated to Fareham in Hampshire for college training which will take up to between 12 and 18 months to complete.

Depending on if you are selected to specialise in being an Aerodrome Controller, an Area Controller, or an Approach Controller, your next posting will be at the company’s discretion dictated by operational requirements at the time. You will then continue with hands-on training until you fully validate your Air Traffic Controller Licence.

Routes to the career

– Study to get good GCSE and A Level results
– Practise problem solving, memory and reactive avoidance games to improve reaction time and brain function.
– Apply for the NATS selection programme – failure of any one stage will mean you are unable to apply again for 12 months. You can apply a maximum of three times only.