New Delhi, February 12 A total of 1,279 positions out of the sanctioned 5,537 positions for air traffic controllers are vacant, the government said on Thursday.
Air traffic is managed by the state-owned Airports Authority of India (AAI), which is also the sole Air Navigation Service Provider (ANSP) in the country.
"Air traffic is managed by the Airports Authority of India (AAI) through a total sanctioned strength of 5,537 Air Traffic Controllers (ATCOs). The total vacancies of ATCOs are 1,279," Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol told the Lok Sabha.
To date in the current financial year, 4,320 ATC personnel have been trained at the seven operational training centres in the country.
The minister said that deployment of 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 in accordance with international norms and also in accordance with 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 the extant norms and standards. No key operational units have been shut down due to manpower shortage," Mohol said in a written reply.
India is one of the world's fastest-growing civil aviation markets.
