Airspace closures, staff shortages and ageing tech: What’s behind 2023’s air traffic disruption?

26.11.2023 - 23:40 / euronews.com / Angela Symons

We all appreciate the pilots who fly us safely to our destination. Some of us even clap for them on landing - much to the chagrin of fellow travellers.

But what about the hidden heroes guiding our safe path through the skies?

Air traffic control officers do the difficult job of keeping planes from crashing. Yet most of us had never even heard of them until they sparked travel chaos by going on strike this year.

When you know what it takes to become an officer, and the high stakes nature of their job, it’s easier to understand their demands for good working conditions and pay.

So what exactly is air traffic control, how do you get a career in it, and why has it been linked to so much travel disruption over the past year?

To find out what’s really behind Europe’s air traffic control problems and what it will take to fix them, Euronews Travel spoke to industry bodies, union members and the European Commission.

Staff shortages drove much of this year’s airport disruption and strike action.

The pandemic is partly to blame. The financial strain, health restrictions, low air traffic and uncertainty it caused put training for many air traffic controllers on hold. Being able to manage lots of overlapping planes is a key part of the job - and that takes practise.

“Adequate on-the-job training was only possible again when traffic levels had increased sufficiently to create a challenging practice environment,” explains Johnny Pring, the manager of Europe policy and advocacy at CANSO (the Civil Air Navigation Services Organisation), a representative body of air traffic control providers.

It takes at least 2.5 years to train an air traffic control officer (ATCO).

Every controller goes through basic training, followed by specialised training in a specific expertise, such as Tower Control, Approach Surveillance or Area Control Surveillance. They must then progress to field training at the airfield they will eventually control.

Finally, they will complete on-the-job training with an ATCO who is qualified to provide it. At airports where traffic has seasonal peaks, simulators are used for training during less busy periods to help maintain competence.

As every airport varies in density and complexity, and part of the training is location specific, air traffic controllers cannot be easily transferred between different airports.

At Maastricht Airport’s Upper Area Control Centre (MUAC) in the Netherlands - one of the most complex and busiest in Europe - the training takes approximately three years, according to Eurocontrol, an international organisation that works to achieve safe and efficient air traffic management across Europe.

Strict regulations govern the whole process and mean that most parts of the training can only be led by