Air traffic controller : Employers and vacancy sources

National Air Traffic Services (NATS) is the main employer of air traffic controllers. NATS is a public-private partnership between:

• the government (who own 49%)
• the Airline Group, a group consisting of seven major UK airlines (who own 42%)
• the British Airports Authority (BAA)  (who own 4%)
• the staff (who own the remainder).

NATS currently provides air traffic control services to more than two million flights a year in UK airspace and part of the north Atlantic. They provide these services from area control centres and at 14 of the larger airports. However, NATS must tender for business and some of the smaller, regional airports use other organisations for this service. Serco   are a large employer of controllers internationally.

Some controllers are employed directly by regional airports or work for other privately owned air traffic control service companies.

EUROCONTROL: European Organisation for the Safety of Air Navigation is the air traffic control organisation covering the Benelux countries (Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg) and is based in Belgium. EUROCONTROL operates in English and may recruit British air traffic controllers.

Sources of vacancies

Search graduate jobs on this site.

• Flight International  
• EUROCONTROL: European Organisation for the Safety of Air Navigation    
• NATS ATCO Careers    
• ATC Global    
• Serco    
• national press.

NATS have started to attend some university careers fairs.

Recruitment agencies rarely handle vacancies.

Get tips on job hunting, CVs and covering letters and interviews.