<p>India is short of at least 1,260 Air Traffic Controllers (ATCOs), who are trained professionals managing aircraft movements in the sky and on the ground to ensure safety.</p><p>The Ministry of Civil Aviation has informed Lok Sabha that 22.75% of ATCO posts are vacant at present. However, it has insisted that no key operational units have been shut down due to manpower shortage.</p><p>Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol said in a written reply that air traffic is managed by Airports Authority of India (AAI) through a total sanctioned strength of 5537 Air Traffic Controllers (ATCOs).</p><p>"The deployment of Air Traffic Control Officers (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 so as to ensure safe and efficient air traffic management," he said.</p><p>"The total vacancies of ATCOs is 1,260 with 396 vacancies in Northern Region, 331 vacancies in Southern Region, 286 vacancies in Western Region, 199 vacancies in Eastern Region and 48 vacancies in North-eastern Region," he said in response to questions by Trinamool Congress MP Rachna Banerjee.</p>.Mumbai's CSMIA sets new operational record with 1,036 Air Traffic Movements in 24 hours.<p>He said aviation safety is maintained through optimal utilization of available manpower in accordance with the extant norms and standards. No key operational units have been shut down due to manpower shortage," he added.</p><p>AAI has a total of 9,771 vacancies, including 1,260 ATCOs, out of 25,730 sanctioned posts.</p><p>Mohol also said AAI has seven operational ATC personnel training centres, which include three Air Traffic Services Training Organisations (ATSTOs) namely, Civil Aviation Training College (CATC), Prayagraj, Hyderabad Training Center (HTC), Hyderabad and National Institute of Aviation Training And Management (NIATAM), Gondia and four Regional Training Centers (RTCs) located at Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, and Kolkata.</p><p>To a separate question by JMM MP Vijay Kumar Hansdak, the Minister said there are 203 vacancies out of 598 sanctioned posts in the Bureau of Civil Aviation Safety and 794 vacancies out of 1,630 posts in DGCA. </p><p>The shortfall in manpower requirements has not impacted the functioning of these organisations, Mohol said, adding structural and administrative reforms in the aviation sector is a continuous process based on international aviation standards and evolving technological trends.</p>
<p>India is short of at least 1,260 Air Traffic Controllers (ATCOs), who are trained professionals managing aircraft movements in the sky and on the ground to ensure safety.</p><p>The Ministry of Civil Aviation has informed Lok Sabha that 22.75% of ATCO posts are vacant at present. However, it has insisted that no key operational units have been shut down due to manpower shortage.</p><p>Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol said in a written reply that air traffic is managed by Airports Authority of India (AAI) through a total sanctioned strength of 5537 Air Traffic Controllers (ATCOs).</p><p>"The deployment of Air Traffic Control Officers (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 so as to ensure safe and efficient air traffic management," he said.</p><p>"The total vacancies of ATCOs is 1,260 with 396 vacancies in Northern Region, 331 vacancies in Southern Region, 286 vacancies in Western Region, 199 vacancies in Eastern Region and 48 vacancies in North-eastern Region," he said in response to questions by Trinamool Congress MP Rachna Banerjee.</p>.Mumbai's CSMIA sets new operational record with 1,036 Air Traffic Movements in 24 hours.<p>He said aviation safety is maintained through optimal utilization of available manpower in accordance with the extant norms and standards. No key operational units have been shut down due to manpower shortage," he added.</p><p>AAI has a total of 9,771 vacancies, including 1,260 ATCOs, out of 25,730 sanctioned posts.</p><p>Mohol also said AAI has seven operational ATC personnel training centres, which include three Air Traffic Services Training Organisations (ATSTOs) namely, Civil Aviation Training College (CATC), Prayagraj, Hyderabad Training Center (HTC), Hyderabad and National Institute of Aviation Training And Management (NIATAM), Gondia and four Regional Training Centers (RTCs) located at Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, and Kolkata.</p><p>To a separate question by JMM MP Vijay Kumar Hansdak, the Minister said there are 203 vacancies out of 598 sanctioned posts in the Bureau of Civil Aviation Safety and 794 vacancies out of 1,630 posts in DGCA. </p><p>The shortfall in manpower requirements has not impacted the functioning of these organisations, Mohol said, adding structural and administrative reforms in the aviation sector is a continuous process based on international aviation standards and evolving technological trends.</p>
