The International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) has commissioned new global research into the growing issue of understaffing of air traffic controllers (ATCOs), working in partnership with the Centre for Future Work.
The research will examine the scale, causes and consequences of understaffing in air traffic control operations worldwide – an escalating issue placing increasing strain on the safety, efficiency and reliability of global aviation, and raising serious concerns about the resilience of safety-critical operations under sustained pressure.
“Air traffic controllers are the backbone of safe functioning of aviation systems,” said Sara Nelson, Chair of the ITF’s Civil Aviation Section. “Air traffic control depends on a highly skilled workforce operating in complex, high-pressure environments, where staffing levels must be constantly monitored to ensure sustainable workloads, avoid fatigue and maintain safety. Yet in many countries, inadequate workforce planning is intensifying these pressures, contributing to a widening gap between staffing needs and capacity.”
“What we are seeing in air traffic control reflects a wider trend across transport – where failure to prioritise decent work, training and workforce planning is creating systemic vulnerabilities.” (....)