Air Traffic Controller
What the work is
Ensures the safe and efficient movement of aircraft in controlled airspace and aerodromes by directing aircraft movements.
Would you enjoy the work?
These are the main tasks in the official description. Mark how each one sounds to you.
- Monitors and controls the movement of aircraft in controlled airspace and aerodromes
- Provides clear and concise instructions to pilots regarding their flight paths and altitudes
- Communicates with other air traffic control centres, pilots and airport staff members to ensure safety, relay estimated arrival times, and prevent or respond to emergency situations
- Monitors radar displays and other equipment to track the position and movement of aircraft
- Keeps accurate records of all aircraft movements and communications
Try it
A simulation and a case study from this kind of work, set in a regional airline and a flight school operating from a small country airport. They are fictional.
The kind of days you could have
Good days
- A smooth landing in poor weather, and passengers who clap without knowing why
- A student who was terrified at their first lesson flies solo for the first time
- A controller's shift where every aircraft sits exactly where it should
Hard days
- A weather change that cancels your flight, with a full plane of cross passengers
- Early starts, late finishes and body clocks that never settle
- A call that is right for safety and wrong for everyone's schedule
Written by Career Calling as a general guide. Real roles vary by employer and place.
Work a mission
Step into a simulated workplace in this field, with a brief from your manager.
Description and tasks: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Occupation Standard Classification for Australia, 2024, Version 1.0 (opens another site), occupation 299132, used under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence. The skill guide above is our plain English summary.