What do they do?

Air traffic control officers (ATCOs) assist not only flights taking off from and landing in India, but also those flights — between other countries — which fly over Indian airspace. They do so by visual observation from the ATC tower’s windows and through radar. During peak hours at midnight at Delhi’s international airport, the busiest in India, an ATCO might have to handle 200-300 planes overflying the capital’s airspace. ATCOs are employed by Airports Authority of India (AAI).

Skills Needed

• Logical thinking  
• Communication skills  
• Ability to make decisions at jet speed 
• Focus on work for hours at a stretch

How do I get there?

After science in Class 12, an engineering degree in electronics, telecommunication, radio engineering, or electrical with first class.Or, a master’s in electronics or any discipline with electronics, telecom, radio physics, as specialisation subjects. Clear the Airports Authority of India’s written test, followed by a voice test, personal interview and a medical examination. After which, finalists are sent for training at Civil Aviation Training College, Allahabad and in Hyderabad.

Typical day in the life of a Air Traffic Control Officers

Pros & Cons about this career