Airservices celebrates air traffic control in October

Airservices Australia has presented awards to two air traffic controllers to mark the International Day of the Air Traffic Controller on Monday 20 October, a day that recognises those who work around the clock to keep our skies safe.

Nominated by their peers around the country, the winning controllers have been recognised for going ‘above and beyond’ in their duties as controllers.

The winners were Peter Hatzipavlis, an en route controller in Melbourne, and Anthony MacBeth from Tamworth Tower.

Peter was recognised for his efforts in assisting an inexperienced pilot land in severe turbulence, and Anthony was recognised for his dedication to representing and promoting Airservices in his local community through pilot forums, local events and careers exhibitions.

Airservices Executive General Manager Air Traffic Control, Greg Hood, said acknowledging the international day was a great chance to pay tribute to the commitment of controllers and operational staff to their safe and efficient delivery of air traffic management.

“We have controllers on duty every hour of every day, 365 days a year to provide a vital service in helping travellers reach their destination safely and efficiently,” Mr Hood said.

“The International Day of the Air Traffic Controller is a great chance not only for us to recognise the efforts of our staff, but for the travelling public to consider the critical role controllers play in keeping them safe in the skies.

“I would like to thank all of our controllers and the staff that support them for the job that they do in keeping our aviation system running smoothly and making air travel one of the safest modes of transport in the world.”

Australian air traffic controllers are responsible for managing the safe and orderly flow of aircraft into, out of, and across 11 per cent of the world’s airspace. Each year, our controllers ensure the safe arrival and departure of more than 90 million passengers across more than four million flights, with these numbers expected to increase by 60 per cent in the next 15 years.

Controllers also play a key role in implementing safety enhancements and measures to reduce delays for passengers, improving efficiency and reducing fuel burn for airline customers.

Airservices 1000 air traffic controllers are highly trained, undergoing 18 months of initial training, followed by regular and ongoing training throughout their career.