On October 20, the International Day of Air Traffic Controllers is marked. The International Federation of Air Traffic Controllers Associations (IFATCA) celebrates its anniversary every year.
By marking this day, the important role of the activity performed in the control towers by the traffic controllers who ensure the safe conduct of air traffic is brought to public attention.
Every day, around 100,000 flights take off or land worldwide. Over the course of a year, more than 4 billion passengers travel by air. The safety of air traffic is ensured by the skill of air traffic controllers, who ensure the smoothness of the races, the monitoring of the flights and the movement of the planes during the flight, as well as the landing operations, according to https://nationaldaycalendar.com/.
The role of the air traffic controller has gradually grown from an approach based on skill and knowledge to a complex and connected activity using the latest technological trends. Carrying out this activity is essential for air traffic safety.
On October 20, 1961, the International Federation of Air Traffic Controllers Associations was established. This body brings together associations from 137 states, including over 50,000 traffic controllers internationally, according to www.nzalpa.org.nz.
The idea of establishing the federation belonged to the Association of Air Traffic Controllers in Israel, led by Jacob Wachtel, the initiator of this proposal in 1956. In 1959, the profile association in Switzerland proposed exploring the possibilities for the establishment of a world federation to manage the activity of air traffic controllers. On the occasion of the meeting in Frankfurt, it was agreed on the drafting of a constitution for a European federation to be called the European Federation of Air Traffic Controllers Associations (EFATCA), according to www.ifatca.org. The first meeting of the working group for the establishment of the new body took place in Amsterdam, on October 19-20, during which 12 member associations ratified the draft constitution: Austria, France, Luxembourg, Belgium, the Federal Republic of Germany, the Netherlands, Denmark, Iceland, Norway, Finland, Ireland and Switzerland. On the occasion of the constitutional conference, it was decided to expand the federation to a world forum, thus the International Federation of Air Traffic Controllers Associations appeared. The promotion of safe and efficient air navigation and the protection of the common professional interests of the members of the federation represented the main purpose of the federation. It is registered in Switzerland and has its headquarters in Montreal, Quebec (Canada).
Between October 18-22, 2022, numerous IFATCA regional meetings are organized in different locations around the globe for each of the respective regions: Mombassa (Kenya) – for the Africa and Middle East area; in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic for the area dedicated to the two Americas; in Mactan-Cebu, Philippines for the Asia-Pacific area; in Brussels for Europe, according to https://www.ifatca.org/.
The IFATCA 2023 Annual Conference is scheduled to take place May 8-12, 2023 in Montego Bay, Jamaica, according to https://www.ifatca2023.org/
In Romania, the institution that deals with air traffic management for civil and military aircraft is the Romanian Administration of Air Traffic Services ROMATSA RA Established in 1991, its priority objective is to provide air traffic services for all civil and military aircraft flying over the airspace of Romania, also collaborating with the Ministry of National Defense and the Ministry of Administration and Interior, according to www.romatsa.ro.
Source – AGERPRES/Online editor – D. Sîrbu/Photo – pixabay.com
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