Air traffic control Europe is behind the radar of your flight
As a Flight Operations Officer I could work closely with air traffic controllers across Europe. Thanks to these years of experience, I know so much about the complexity of air traffic control Europe. European air traffic control is famous for busy airspaces and stringent regulations for ages. But do you have an idea about how important air traffic control Europe is to the entire region? Or what is its structure like? What challenges does air traffic control Europe face or how can you join this system as one of the European air traffic controllers? In this article we are going to explore them.
Air traffic control Europe is guiding skies from behind
No country can manage air traffic without a system like air traffic control. It guides and coordinates pilots and other airport crews to ensure aircraft’s safety in the air and on the ground. But when it comes to European air traffic control, things get a little bit complicated. Why? It is because Europe is not a single country with a single ATC system. There are many national airspaces in this system. And there are many regulations and procedures for them. That is why we have Eurocontrol.
The structure of air traffic control in Europe
Who controls air traffic in Europe? It is Eurocontrol. This unit is the European organization for the safety of air navigation. It manages air traffic across Europe by working with national air traffic control agencies. What countries are part of the Eurocontrol? 41 European countries and 2 Comprehensive Agreement States are members of Eurocontrol. The list goes as below.
Member states are,
- Albania
- Armenia
- Austria
- Belgium
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Bulgaria
- Croatia
- Cyprus
- Czech Republic
- Denmark
- Estonia
- Finland
- France
- Georgia
- Germany
- Greece
- Hungary
- Ireland
- Italy
- Latvia
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Malta
- Moldova
- Monaco
- Montenegro
- Netherlands
- North Macedonia
- Norway
- Portugal
- Romania
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- Spain
- Switzerland
- Sweden
- Turkey
- Ukraine
The comprehensive agreement states are,
- Israel
- Morocco
Like that Eurocontrol is a truly pan-European effort. It also offers training, research, and development support to its member states.
Air traffic control zones Europe
Did you know Europe airspace is split into different air traffic control zones? Each country usually has its own flight information region (FIR), where it provides ATC services. These FIRs are further divided into sectors managed by individual ATC centers. You can see these zones on an air traffic control zones map Europe.
What is the EU regulation for air traffic control?
The European Union sets the rules for the operation of ATC in Europe. The EU regulation for air traffic control sets common rules for providing air navigation services. It sets safety and interoperability requirements.
How to become an air traffic controller in Europe?
Do you want to apply for air traffic controller training at Eurocontrol? Then you need to meet certain requirements. You need to,
- Be younger than 27 years old when the training starts
- Speak English well
- Be a citizen of one of the Eurocontrol member states
- Have completed secondary education at an advanced level, with mathematics as one of the subjects
- Be medically fit
- Be free from any military service obligation when the training starts
And you can’t have failed similar training elsewhere.
Recruitment procedure and selection tests
There are several steps in the Eurocontrol selection process. And you need to do a few tests to check different skills and abilities. Here are the steps.
Application
You need to fill out the application form and provide supporting documents. For this, get your school-leaving certificates and security clearance from your national security authority.
Screening and online tests
If you’re a suitable applicant, you’ll get an invitation to complete online reasoning ability tests.
On-site tests and interview
If you pass the tests, you will get invited to the Maastricht center for more tests and an interview. These assessments check skills like English proficiency, mental arithmetic, decision-making, logical reasoning, working memory, visual perception, attention, spatial orientation, multi-tasking ability, trainability, and stress management.
Overview
Eurocontrol training usually takes between three and three and a half years. During the training you will get detailed theoretical classes, simulator training, and intense on-the-job training. What will you learn at the training program? This training program will cover different air traffic control aspects, like radar usage, computer systems, and dealing with unexpected events like changes in weather and emergency situations.
Air traffic control jobs Europe
My colleague controllers have told me that working in air traffic control is both a rewarding and a challenging task, especially in Europe. Here they have to guide some of the world’s busiest airspaces. There are many job opportunities in this field, like,
- Air traffic control instructor
- Air traffic control supervisor
- Air traffic control analyst
- Air traffic control systems engineer
Air traffic controller salary Europe
Air traffic controllers carry a big responsibility and a unique skill set for the job. So, they get a good salary.
Trainee air traffic controller at Eurocontrol
Nationals earn around €3,200 per month. Expatriates earn around €3,800 per month.
Certified air traffic controller at Eurocontrol
Nationals earn around €3,750 per month. Expatriates earn around €4,500 per month.
Air traffic control problems in europe today
As I discussed before, Europe airspace does not belong to a single country. Because of this the challenges that European air traffic control face are different and complex than what any other country’s air traffic control handles.
Staff shortages
The European air traffic controllers shortage is one of the main issues they have right now. Today, so many currently working European air traffic controllers are getting close to their retirement age. Isn’t that good news? Now new recruits can take their place, right? That is the issue. There are not enough new European air traffic controllers recruits out there. Why is that? There are issues like. training gaps, inflexible hours, and sometimes other career options pay people more. So, it is hard to attract new people to work in control towers. Because of this replacing the aging workforce is very difficult.
Airspace capacity issues
Sometimes European air traffic control has to face not enough airspace capacity problems. In these times travelers have to face long delays and other flight problems. Like I said before, European airspace is so fragmented. So, each country typically has its own Flight Information Region (FIR). Because of this there are less efficient routing issues and longer flight paths issues.
And we cannot forget the lack of harmonization in regulations and procedures comes with this system. It brings more complexity. Because of these complicated regulations, sometimes pilots and European air traffic control operators get confused. Then it affects the entire system efficiency.
System overload
Since more people use air travel, air traffic volume is always at its max. This puts a lot of pressure on the existing European air traffic control infrastructure. And European air traffic controllers are having difficulties working with old infrastructures. It struggles to handle the growing demands because of outdated radar systems, inadequate facilities, and capacity limitations. This makes the issue worse.
Communication and coordination issues
The language barriers and miscommunication instances are the biggest communication air traffic control problems in Europe today. And then sometimes there is inefficient coordination between different European air traffic control centers and airlines. In these times they have to face issues like inefficient flight routing, delays, and confusion.
Air traffic restrictions today Europe
Aside from the above challenges, air traffic restrictions bring another big issue for European air travel. Sometimes European air traffic control has put air traffic restrictions in different parts of Europe because of severe weather conditions. Travelers have had hundreds of flight delays because of these restrictions.
The proceeding conflict between Russia and Ukraine is also another reason for these restrictions. Because of it many large parts of European airspace are restricted.
Air traffic controller strike Europe
Air traffic controller strike Europe can greatly affect the European aviation industry. There have been many disruptions because of these strikes, like, cancelled or delayed flights, flight route diversions, and inconveniences for passengers. For example, the recent 34 days of industrial action from 1 March to 9 April affected 237,000 flights. That was about 30% of all European flights on those days.
These strikes can happen for many reasons, like disagreements over pay, working conditions, and staffing levels. For example, security staff at Gatwick Airport planned to strike on several dates in July 2024 to get ‘a fair day’s pay’. Air traffic controllers at Antalya airport in Turkey went on strike in the same way. These air traffic controller strikes cause so many flight delays. But the impact of these strikes doesn’t stop with immediate disruption of flights. They also cause a ripple effect. Soon other parts of the network start to get delays and cancellations. Imagine what would happen if an air traffic controller strike Europe started during a busy summer holiday period.
Conclusion
Like we discussed in the article, air traffic control Europe is not your regular air traffic control unit. It is a far more complex, challenging, and fascinating system. The European air traffic controllers have to go through equipment issues and regulatory changes every now and then but still they work really hard to do a great job to keep airspace safe and efficient. Although most people do not see it without their skill, dedication, and resilience, flights would not be able to fly across Europe airspace.
