DGCA moves to start licensing air traffic controllers

New Delhi: The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has drafted rules for licensing air traffic control officers (ATCOs) and would soon send them to the government for approval.
After the government approved the rules and notified, the ATCOs would be subjected to licensing by the DGCA’s newly-established Air Traffic Management Directorate, the sources said.
India is facing an acute shortage of ATCOs, with the recent official figures showing there are a total of 1,630 ATC officers, against a sanctioned strength of 2,107, despite a recruitment drive being initiated.
This has led to heightening of workload on the ATCOs. The Justice Lahoti Commission, which was studying the mid-air collision over Charkhi Dadri near Delhi in November 1996, killing all 349 people on board the two aircraft, had also pointed this out several years ago.
The sources said the licensing of ATCOs would be based on international standards according to the parameters laid down by the UN-body, the International Civil Aviation Organisation.
05/04/10 Press Trust Of India/Business Standard

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Categories: Airports Apr 2010, Indian Aviation- In General Apr 2010, New Apr 2010