Transport and logistics
Air traffic controller
Directing aircraft on the ground and through controlled airspace.
Summary
The UK manages one of the busiest and most complex pieces of airspace in the world. A range of specialist air traffic controller roles contribute to the safe and efficient movement of aircraft with civil and military operations working collaboratively to maintain a fully integrated service to all users, 24 hours a day, every day of the year Air Traffic Controllers work in a number of aviation environments such as an air traffic control centres, commercial airports, military bases and aerodromes, or other airfields; some air traffic controllers find their training and experience useful in consultancy, aerospace manufacturing or in the global aerospace industry. The guiding principle of air traffic control is to deliver a safe, efficient and reliable service using their knowledge and skills. Air traffic controllers in the UK would usually work for a commercial/ civil employer or the military. Tasks will vary depending on the specialism of the air traffic controller but include: preventing collisions between aircraft and between aircraft and obstacles making sure that minimum safe distances are maintained between aircraft keeping radio contact with aircraft maintaining surveillance contact with aircraft using equipment such as RADAR issuing instructions to aircraft expediting and maintaining a safe and orderly flow of air traffic providing information to aircraft about information pertinent to the flight monitoring data systems handling unexpected events, emergencies, and unscheduled traffic. This apprenticeship adopts a core and options approach to allow flexibility for employers and enable transferability between roles and employers for apprentices. All apprentices must attain competence in each of the core knowledge, skills and behaviours. In addition, one specialist option (for additional knowledge and skills) must be taken out of the eight specialisms listed further below, which are Civil Area/ Terminal Controller, Civil Approach Controller, Civil Approach Procedural Controller, Civil Aerodrome Controller, Military Weapons Controller, Military Area Radar Controller, Military Terminal Radar Controller, Military Terminal Aerodrome Controller.
Typical job titles include
- Civil Aerodrome Controller | Civil Approach Controller | Civil Approach Procedural Controller | Civil Area/ Terminal Controller | Military Area Radar Controller | Military Terminal Aerodrome Controller | Military Terminal Radar Controller | Military Weapons Controller
Knowledge, skills and behaviours (KSBs)
K1:
Safety: Health & Safety obligations as an employee and as an air traffic controller including maintaining a safe environment, emergency response and personal safety
K2:
Safety: Understand how to escalate safety concerns
K3:
Security: Understand potential security threats and their impact on the business and the operation and action to take in the event of a breach of security
K4:
Planning: Understand the considerations and processes to enable effective planning, problem solving and decision making using knowledge, experience and evolving information.
K5:
Planning: Understand how to maintain spatial awareness within the designated area of control
K6:
Compliance & Legislation: Understand how to manage and comply with local, national and international legislation, codes of practice and guidance within own area of responsibility
K7:
Communication: Understand how to manage communications with users, staff and external agencies, selecting appropriate methods and language.
K8:
Communication: Understand standard terminology, context and tools to communicate with aircraft, other ATC authorities, and colleagues
K9:
Communication: Understand how to direct the movement of aircraft
K10:
Communication: how to pass information to aircraft (e.g. weather conditions)
K11:
Communication: how to maintain radio and radar contact with aircraft
K12:
Teamworking & Resource Management: Know and understand the procedures and protocols for safe takeover and handover control of the operational position at the start and end of an allocated period of air traffic control
K13:
Teamworking & Resource Management: Know and understand the correct team and individual responses to light levels of traffic volume and complexity
K14:
Teamworking & Resource Management: Understand how to manage difficult and challenging situations and people
K15:
Teamworking & Resource Management: Understand the interactions between different types of controllers and how interactions between controllers affect workload
K16:
Teamworking & Resource Management: Understand the need for cooperation with other parties concerning aspects of environmental protection
K17:
Air Traffic Operations: Understanding Aerodrome theory
K18:
Air Traffic Operations: Understand Aircraft performance and behaviours
K19:
Air Traffic Operations: Equipment and systems
K20:
Air Traffic Operations: Aviation Law
K21:
Air Traffic Operations: Air Traffic Management
K22:
Air Traffic Operations: Local procedures, rules and systems
K23:
Air Traffic Operations: Navigation
K24:
Air Traffic Operations: Regulatory standards and obligations
K25:
Air Traffic Operations: Weather and impact on aircraft, the local operation, and the wider air traffic control network
K26:
Air Traffic Operations: Radio, navigation and communications aids
K27:
Air Traffic Operations: Separation minima between aircraft in specific situations
K28:
Air Traffic Operations: Emergency and unscheduled traffic procedures including airborne and ground based failures
K29:
Service Level Agreements: Understand the agreed levels of performance and standard operational procedures within own area of responsibility
K30:
Personal Effectiveness: Understand responsibilities and accountabilities for the role
K31:
Personal Effectiveness: Understand how to maintain resilience, effectiveness and operational safety when a plan is not followed
K32:
Personal Effectiveness: Understand the need to acknowledge and react positively to any errors identified
K33:
Personal Effectiveness: Understand the importance of recognising and responding appropriately to the signs and symptoms of fatigue Understand the impact of personal medical fitness and the impact on personal effectiveness
K34:
O1: Understand the specific rules, principles and techniques pertinent to civil Area/ Terminal control and how they apply to, and impact, the civil Area/ Terminal environment
K35:
O1: Understand the role and responsibilities of the Area/ Terminal Controller and their role in providing an integrated air traffic control service
K36:
O2: Understand the specific rules, principles and techniques pertinent to civil Approach control and how they apply to, and impact, the civil Approach environment
K37:
O2: Understand the role and responsibilities of the Approach Controller and their role in providing an integrated air traffic control service
K38:
O3: Understand the specific rules, principles and techniques pertinent to civil Approach Procedural control and how they apply to, and impact, the civil Approach Procedural environment
K39:
O3: Understand the role and responsibilities of the Approach Procedural Controller and their role in providing an integrated air traffic control service
K40:
O4: Understand the specific rules, principles and techniques pertinent to civil Aerodrome control and how they apply to, and impact, the civil Aerodrome environment
K41:
O4: Understand the role and responsibilities of the Civil Aerodrome Controller and their role in providing an integrated air traffic control service
K42:
O5: Understand the specific rules, principles and techniques pertinent to military Weapons control and how they apply to, and impact, the military Weapons Control environment
K43:
O5: Understand the role and responsibilities of the Military Weapons Controller and their role in providing an integrated air traffic control service
K44:
O6: Understand the specific rules, principles and techniques pertinent to military Area control and how they apply to, and impact, the military Area environment
K45:
O6: Understand the role and responsibilities of the Military Area Radar Controller and their role in providing an integrated air traffic control service
K46:
O7: Understand the specific rules, principles and techniques pertinent to military Terminal Radar control and how they apply to, and impact, the military Terminal Radar environment
K47:
O7: Understand the role and responsibilities of the Military Terminal Radar Controller and their role in providing an integrated air traffic control service
K48:
O8: Understand the specific rules, principles and techniques pertinent to military Terminal Aerodrome control and how they apply to, and impact, the military Terminal Aerodrome environment
K49:
O8: Understand the role and responsibilities of the Military Terminal Aerodrome Controller and their role in providing an integrated air traffic control service
Technical Educational Products
- ST0595: Air traffic controller (Level 5) Approved for delivery
- Reference:
- OCC0595
- Status:
Approved occupation
- Average (median) salary:
- £74,044 per year
- SOC 2020 code:
- 3511 Aircraft pilots and air traffic controllers
- SOC 2020 sub unit groups:
- 3511/02 Air traffic controllers
- 3511/99 Aircraft pilots and air traffic controllers n.e.c.
- 7213/01 Air traffic control assistants
S1:
Safety: Comply with Health & Safety obligations as an employee and as an air traffic controller
S2:
Safety: Escalate safety concerns through the appropriate channels
S3:
Security: Manage aviation security in own area of operations following organisational procedures to report and react to any breach
S4:
Planning: Manage planning, problem solving and decision making using knowledge, experience and evolving information. Manage the use and update of situational data displays
S5:
Planning: Maintain spatial awareness within the designated area of control
S6:
Compliance & Legislation: Manage compliance with legislation, aviation procedures and regulations within own area of responsibility
S7:
Communication: Manage communication with users, staff and external agencies, selecting appropriate methods and language
S8:
Communication: Use correct terminology, context and tools and maintain a safe and effective operation
S9:
Communication: direct the movement of aircraft
S10:
Communication: pass effective and pertinent information to aircraft
S11:
Communication: maintain radio and radar contact with aircraft
S12:
Teamworking & Resource Management: Safely takeover and handover control of the operational position at the start and end of an allocated period of air traffic control
S13:
Teamworking & Resource Management: Assess and respond effectively to light levels of traffic volume and complexity
S14:
Teamworking & Resource Management: Effectively manage difficult and challenging situations and people
S15:
Teamworking & Resource Management: Effectively manage working relationships and interactions between differing types of controllers situated at the same and differing sites (domestic and international)
S16:
Teamworking & Resource Management: Cooperate effectively with other parties to achieve appropriate environmental protections
S17:
Air Traffic Operations: Effectively Manage Air Traffic using understanding of appropriate theory, experience and current operating directives
S18:
Service Level Agreements: Manage team and facilities to deliver results according to agreed levels of performance
S19:
Personal Effectiveness: Undertake responsibilities and accountabilities
S20:
Personal Effectiveness: Maintain resilience, effectiveness and operational safety when a plan is not followed
S21:
Personal Effectiveness: Acknowledge and react positively to any errors identified
S22:
Personal Effectiveness: Recognise and respond appropriately to fatigue. Take responsibility for personal medical fitness to not endanger airspace users when personal effectiveness may be reduced
S23:
O1: Demonstrate sufficient knowledge and understanding through a variety of assessments and examinations
S24:
O1: Demonstrate practical capability as an Area/ Terminal air traffic controller to the defined assessment standard and level
S25:
O2: Demonstrate sufficient knowledge and understanding through a variety of assessments and examinations
S26:
O2: Demonstrate practical capability as an Approach controller to the defined assessment standard and level
S27:
O3: Demonstrate sufficient knowledge and understanding through a variety of assessments and examinations
S28:
O3: Demonstrate practical capability as an Approach Procedural controller to the defined assessment standard and level
S29:
O4: Demonstrate sufficient knowledge and understanding through a variety of assessments and examinations
S30:
O4: Demonstrate practical capability as an Aerodrome controller to the defined assessment standard and level
S31:
O5: Demonstrate sufficient knowledge and understanding through a variety of assessments and examinations
S32:
O5: Demonstrate practical capability as a Military Weapons Controller to the defined assessment standard and level
S33:
O6: Demonstrate sufficient knowledge and understanding through a variety of assessments and examinations
S34:
O6: Demonstrate practical capability as a Military Area Radar Controller to the defined assessment standard and leve
S35:
O7: Demonstrate sufficient knowledge and understanding through a variety of assessments and examinations
S36:
O7: Demonstrate practical capability as a Military Terminal Radar Controller to the defined assessment standard and level
S37:
O8: Demonstrate sufficient knowledge and understanding through a variety of assessments and examinations
S38:
O8: Demonstrate practical capability as a Military Terminal Aerodrome Controller to the defined assessment standard and level
Technical Educational Products
- ST0595: Air traffic controller (Level 5) Approved for delivery
- Reference:
- OCC0595
- Status:
- Approved occupation
- Average (median) salary:
- £74,044 per year
- SOC 2020 code:
- 3511 Aircraft pilots and air traffic controllers
- SOC 2020 sub unit groups:
- 3511/02 Air traffic controllers
- 3511/99 Aircraft pilots and air traffic controllers n.e.c.
- 7213/01 Air traffic control assistants
B1:
Embrace and promote the values of the organisation
B2:
Treat team, customers and other stakeholders with courtesy and respect
B3:
Take ownership and responsibility of role and working area, including team members where responsible
B4:
Display loyalty, integrity and accountability to the organisation
B5:
Commit to continuous development of self and team, including improvements to systems and processes
B6:
Be vigilant and proactive in promoting a safe, secure and compliant working culture
Technical Educational Products
- ST0595: Air traffic controller (Level 5) Approved for delivery
- Reference:
- OCC0595
- Status:
- Approved occupation
- Average (median) salary:
- £74,044 per year
- SOC 2020 code:
- 3511 Aircraft pilots and air traffic controllers
- SOC 2020 sub unit groups:
- 3511/02 Air traffic controllers
- 3511/99 Aircraft pilots and air traffic controllers n.e.c.
- 7213/01 Air traffic control assistants
