Lok Sabha Question No. 106 (STARRED), answered on 2023-02-09
Subject: Recruitment of ATCOs
Ministry: CIVIL AVIATION
Asked by: Dushyant Singh

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF CIVIL AVIATION LOK SABHA

STARRED QUESTION NO. : 106

(To be answered on the 9 th  February 2023)

## RECRUITMENT OF ATCOs

## *106. SHRI DUSHYANT SINGH

## Will the Minister of CIVIL AVIATION

Minister of CIVIL AVIATION

- (a) to (f):- A Statement is laid on the Table of the House.
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be pleased to state:-

- (a)  the  number of Air Traffic Control Operators (ATCOs) employed against the sanctioned posts as on 31st January, 2023;
- (b) the additional number of ATCOs needed by the Airports Authority of India (AAI) to comply with Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) guidelines in 2022, 2023 and 2024;
- (c) whether the Government is aware that there are only three training centres having a combined capacity to train 264 personnel in a year and if so, the details thereof;
- (d) whether the Government proposes to open any new training centre and if so, the details thereof;
- (e) the number of CISF posts in the Aviation Security Group (ASG) that were abolished and the number of posts that remain as on 31st January, 2023; and
- (f) whether the Government proposes to take any steps to meet the demand in terms of creation and filling up of posts of ATCOs expeditiously and if so, the details thereof along with the timeline for implementation of the same?

## ANSWER

(Shri Jyotiraditya M. Scindia)

Statement in reply to parts (a) to (f) of the Lok Sabha Starred Question No. 106 for

09.02.2023 regarding Recruitment of ATCOs. (a) As on 31st January, 2023 the sanctioned strength of Air Traffic Controllers (ATCOs) in Airports Authority of India (AAI) is 4211 against which 3692 ATCOs are in place. (b) As per Civil Aviation Requirement (CAR) of Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), additional number of ATCOs required by AAI as on 31.12.2022 is 381 with cumulative additional requirement of 1392 and 1697 on 31.12.2023 and 31.12.2024 respectively. (c) & (d) AAI has three training institutes namely Civil Aviation Training College (CATC), Prayagraj Hyderabad Training Center (HTC), Hyderabad and National Institute of Aviation Training And Management (NIATAM), Gondia. The existing combined capacity of the above training institutes is 575 for freshers/new recruits which is sufficient to cater to requirements of AAI. Hence, no proposal for opening a new institute for the purpose is in pipeline. (e) In the year 2019, 3049 posts of CISF were abolished at 61 airports leaving it with a strength of 27,218. However, subsequently the CISF strength has  been augmented to 36,122 at 66 airports, which is almost 33% more of the remaining strength of force in the year 2019.

(f)  The recruitment of sufficient manpower/ Air Traffic Controllers (ATCOs) for smooth functioning of Air Traffic Management is a continuous process, which is undertaken by the Airports Authority of India (AAI) based on the requirement at various stations/ airports. The vacant posts of ATCOs are filled through direct recruitment as well as internally through departmental examination. Against 264 posts of ATCOs advertised in the year 2020, 190 candidates have already joined and offers of appointment have been issued to 68 more candidates available in the panel. Further, for the 400 posts advertised in the year 2022, the recruitment process has been completed and qualified candidates have been asked to report at original place of posting. Apart from this, 54 internal candidates selected through departmental examination are currently undergoing training/ have joined at stations. AAI has also initiated steps for filling up another 356 posts of ATCOs through direct recruitment on 09.12.2022. Further, to cope with the increasing demand, the Ministry of Civil Aviation has initiated the process of creation of 456 more posts of ATCOs in AAI at different levels.

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