Global Air Traffic Control During COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic has had an unprecedented impact on global aviation. Across the world, the dramatic reduction in air traffic has brought unique challenges — and revealed the extraordinary resilience of the air traffic control workforce.

Throughout the pandemic, air traffic controllers across all six of our member nations have continued to show up, to train, and to maintain the safety standards that underpin civil aviation. Even as passenger numbers plummeted to historic lows, cargo flights, medical supply operations, and repatriation missions continued — and controllers ensured they flew safely.

At the same time, many of our members face significant uncertainty. With airlines grounding fleets and aviation authorities reducing operations, controllers face questions about job security, the financial health of their employers, and what recovery will look like.

The Global ATC Alliance calls on governments and air navigation service providers worldwide to:

• Protect aviation safety jobs and hard-won expertise through the recovery period
• Maintain training and certification standards
• Plan for a safe, measured return to full operations
• Ensure that workforce expertise is central to recovery planning

Air traffic control is not an industry that can quickly rebuild capacity once it is lost. The knowledge, experience, and certification of our members represent decades of public investment. That expertise must be preserved.

We will continue to advocate for our members throughout this crisis and beyond.