**Executive Summary**
This document is the answer to Unstarred Question No. 1849 in Lok Sabha, scheduled for December 11, 2025, regarding the shortage of staff in Air Traffic Control Services (ATCS). The Minister of Civil Aviation addresses the sanctioned strength and vacancies of Air Traffic Controllers (ATCOs), the number of ATC training centers, and whether the shortage of personnel has led to operational unit shutdowns. The document includes specific data on regional vacancies and training center outputs.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Sanctioned Strength and Vacancies:**
* The Airports Authority of India (AAI) manages air traffic with a sanctioned strength of 5537 ATCOs.
* There are a total of 1260 vacancies for ATCOs.
* Regional distribution of vacancies: Northern (396), Southern (331), Western (286), Eastern (199), North-eastern (48).
* **ATC Training Centers:**
* AAI has seven operational ATC personnel training centers.
* Includes three Air Traffic Services Training Organisations (ATSTOs): Civil Aviation Training College (CATC), Prayagraj; Hyderabad Training Center (HTC), Hyderabad; National Institute of Aviation Training And Management (NIATAM), Gondia
* Four Regional Training Centers (RTCs) are located at Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, and Kolkata.
* An annexure provides year-wise and training center-wise data on the number of ATC personnel trained over the last five years.
* **Operational Unit Status:**
* The deployment of ATCOs is managed by AAI in accordance with Directorate General of Civil Aviation - Civil Aviation Requirements (CAR) on Watch Duty Time Limitations (WDTL), ensuring safe and efficient air traffic management as per international norms.
* No key operational units have been shut down due to manpower shortage.
**Impact Analysis**
**AAI (Airports Authority of India)**
* **Impact:** AAI needs to manage Air Traffic Control with existing staff and vacancies and ensure compliance with DGCA regulations.
* **Action Required:** Optimize manpower utilization according to extant norms and standards and address regional ATCO vacancies, manage ATCO deployments based on WDTL (Watch Duty Time Limitations) and air traffic volume.
**ATC Personnel**
* **Impact:** ATC Personnel need to ensure safe and efficient air traffic management while adhering to work hour limitations and norms.
* **Action Required:** Continue operating as per DGCA's Civil Aviation Requirements (CAR) on Watch Duty Time Limitations (WDTL).
**ATC Training Centers**
* **Impact:** The training centers have been contributing to the training of ATC personnel.
* **Action Required:** Continue to train ATC personnel at the seven operational centers and monitor training outputs.
Key Entities Referenced
Airports Authority of India (AAI): The entity responsible for managing air traffic.
Ministry of Civil Aviation: The primary ministry answering the question about the shortage of staff in ATCS.
Lok Sabha: The house of Parliament to which the question regarding the shortage of staff in Air Traffic Control Services (ATCS) was addressed.
Air Traffic Control (ATC): The subject matter of the parliamentary question; shortage of personnel.
Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA): The regulatory body that the AAI based on for deployment of Air Traffic Control Officers (ATCOs).
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF CIVIL AVIATION
LOK SABHA
(UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. : 1849)
( TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 11th December 2025 )
SHORTAGE OF STAFF IN ATCS
1849. SMT RACHNA BANERJEE
Will the Minister of CIVIL AVIATION
be pleased to state:-
(a) the details of the sanctioned strength of Air Traffic Control (ATC) personnel and the number of vacancies, ATC-wise;
(b) the number of operational ATC personnel training centres in the country along with the number of personnel trained during the last five
years, year and training Centre-wise; and
(c) whether it is a fact that the shortage of ATC personnel has led to the merging or shutdown of key operational units and if so, the details
thereof?
ANSWER
Minister of State in the Ministry of CIVIL AVIATION
(Shri Murlidhar Mohol)
(a): Air Traffic is managed by Airports Authority of India (AAI) through a total sanctioned strength of 5537 Air Traffic Controllers (ATCOs).
The total vacancies of ATCOs is 1260 with 396 vacancies in Northern Region, 331vacancies in Southern Region, 286 vacancies in Western
Region, 199 vacancies in Eastern Region and 48 vacancies in North-eastern Region.
(b): AAI has seven (7) 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.
The number of ATC personnel trained during the last five years, year and training-centre wise is at Annexure.;
(c): 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. Aviation safety is maintained through optimal utilization of available
manpower in accordance with the extant norms and standards. No key operational units have been shutdown due to manpower shortage.
******Annexure referred to in reply to Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 1849 for 11.12.2025
TOTAL
FINANCIAL CATC, HTC, NIATAM, RTC RTC RTC RTC
YEAR-
YEAR PRAYAGRAJ HYDERABAD GONDIA DELHI MUMBAI KOLKATA CHENNAI
WISE
2021-22 370 57 65 78 659 555 481 2265
2022-23 811 117 225 85 702 1032 563 3535
2023-24 1087 164 322 60 809 874 667 3983
2024-25 708 268 209 136 864 919 930 4034
2025-26 (Till
743 269 159 91 478 894 562 3196
Date)