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Air Traffic Control: Recruitment

Asked by Jerome MayhewConservativeDepartment for TransportTabled Answered 6 July 2026UIN 14936

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate her Department has made of the number of new air traffic controllers that will need to qualify each year over the next five years in order to maintain sufficient staffing levels.

Answered by Keir Mather

It is up to airport traffic control providers and en-route air navigation service providers to ensure they maintain sufficient technical capability, operational capacity, and appropriately qualified personnel to support current and future service requirements.

As part of its safety oversight responsibilities, the CAA requires that these providers can ensure they can deliver services safely, efficiently, continuously, and sustainably, in line with anticipated levels of airspace demand.

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