Chennai airport celebrates World Air Traffic Controller Day

CHENNAI: The Air Traffic Control (ATC) department at the Chennai airport celebrated World Air Traffic Controller Day on Tuesday with cultural programmes and seminars, highlighting the crucial role of air traffic controllers in ensuring the safety and smooth movement of aircraft.

Internationally, air traffic control services began 104 years ago, and World Air Traffic Controller Day is observed on October 20 to recognise the contribution of air traffic controllers to aviation safety. The ATC operations at Chennai airport commenced in 1932 and have completed 94 years.

Addressing the gathering virtually from Delhi, Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu noted that the Indian air traffic controllers manage a vast airspace covering approximately 2.8 million square nautical miles, nearly three times the country's land area. They work 24 hours a day and 365 days a year to ensure the safety of thousands of aircraft that fly through this airspace every day.

Apart from ensuring flight safety, air traffic controllers are responsible for maintaining efficient aircraft movements and enabling flights to operate smoothly and quickly, while avoiding unnecessary delays. He added that the responsibilities of air traffic controllers were increasing day by day due to the growing number of aircraft in India, the establishment of new airports, the increasing preference for air travel among passengers, and improvements in aircraft technology.

Naidu also emphasised the importance of ensuring the physical and mental fitness of air traffic control officers. Their physical and mental fitness is assessed daily as well as at specified intervals, which is mandatory to ensure that they remain physically and mentally fit to perform their duties safely whenever they are called upon to work.

Air traffic control has become increasingly important as air travel gains popularity and the number of flights continues to rise, resulting in growing traffic in the skies. The ATC system regulates and coordinates aircraft movements to ensure safe and orderly operations. The system monitors and manages various types of aircraft, including passenger planes, cargo aircraft, medical air ambulances and helicopters, ensuring that they operate safely within designated airspace.