Parliament Question: Vacant Post of ATCs

**Executive Summary** This document is the response from the Minister of State in the Ministry of Civil Aviation to Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 2239, addressed on February 12, 2026, regarding Air Traffic Controllers (ATCs). The response details the sanctioned strength and vacancies of ATCOs, the number of operational ATC personnel training centers, and whether personnel shortages have led to operational unit closures. The document also includes an annexure with details of ATC personnel trained in the last five years. **Key Points / Main Content** * **Sanctioned Strength and Vacancies:** * Air Traffic is managed by Airports Authority of India (AAI). * The total sanctioned strength of Air Traffic Controllers (ATCOs) is 5537. * The total number of vacancies for ATCOs is 1279. * **ATC Personnel Training Centers:** * AAI has seven (7) operational ATC personnel training centers. * These include three Air Traffic Services Training Organisations (ATSTOs): Civil Aviation Training College (CATC) Prayagraj, Hyderabad Training Center (HTC), Hyderabad, and National Institute of Aviation Training and Management (NIATAM), Gondia. * Also included are four Regional Training Centers (RTCs) located at Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, and Kolkata. * Annexure for this document provides the number of ATC personnel trained during the last five years, year, and training center-wise. * **Deployment and Operational Unit Closures:** * 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). * These are based on international norms and air traffic volume at airports to ensure safe and efficient air traffic management. * Aviation safety is maintained through optimal utilization of available manpower in accordance with extant norms and standards. * No key operational units have been shut down due to manpower shortage. **Impact Analysis** **Airports Authority of India (AAI)** * **Impact:** AAI is responsible for managing air traffic with a specific sanctioned strength of ATCOs. They need to manage training and deployment of ATCOs in line with regulations and manpower. * **Action Required:** AAI must continue to manage air traffic according to the outlined regulations, optimizing manpower, and maintaining aviation safety standards. **Ministry of Civil Aviation** * **Impact:** Overseeing the management and training of ATCOs and ensuring compliance with aviation safety standards. * **Action Required:** Continue monitoring AAI's adherence to regulations and standards related to ATCO deployment and training. **ATC Personnel and Trainees** * **Impact:** The availability of training centers and deployment practices affect the career paths and working conditions of ATCOs. * **Action Required:** Personnel may need to attend training at specific centers and adhere to WDTL guidelines in their deployment.

Key Entities Referenced