air traffic controller

An air traffic controller (ATC) is a person licensed under the standards of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) to maintain the safe, orderly, and expeditious flow of aircraft in controlled airspace, on the ground at controlled aerodromes, and along instrument flight routes. ICAO, a United Nations specialized agency founded under the 1944 Chicago Convention, sets minimum licensing, training, and equipment standards that its 193 contracting states translate into national regulations; the actual operation of air traffic services is delegated to designated air navigation service providers (ANSPs) such as the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in the United States, NATS in the United Kingdom, and bodies affiliated with EUROCONTROL across Europe. The profession emerged from ...