Govt flags 1,279 air traffic controller posts vacant

New Delhi: A total of 1,279 posts out of the sanctioned 5,537 positions for air traffic controllers are lying vacant, the government said on Thursday.

The air traffic is managed by the state-owned Airports Authority of India (AAI), which is also the sole Air Navigation Service Provider (ANSP) in the country.

"Air traffic is managed by the Airports Authority of India (AAI) through a total sanctioned strength of 5,537 Air Traffic Controllers (ATCOs). The total vacancies of ATCOs are 1,279," Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol told the Lok Sabha.


To date in the current financial year, 4,320 ATC personnel have been trained at the seven operational training centres in the country.

The minister said deployment of ATCOs is undertaken by AAI based on the Directorate General of Civil Aviation - Civil Aviation Requirements (CAR) on Watch Duty Time Limitations (WDTL), which is as per international norms and also as per air traffic volume at airports, to ensure safe and efficient air traffic management.

"Aviation safety is maintained through optimal utilisation of available manpower in accordance with the extant norms and standards. No key operational units have been shut down due to manpower shortage," Mohol said in a written reply.

India is one of the world's fastest-growing civil aviation markets.