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The Business Magazine May 2024
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Shortage of Air Traffic Controllers at Gloucestershire Airport hits service

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Gloucestershire Airport
24 May 2024
Gloucestershire Airport

An exodus of air traffic controllers at Gloucestershire Airport means a major drop in service this summer.

Gloucestershire Airport will not provide an Air Traffic Control (ATC) Service for 10 days across a 10-week period and on days when ATC is provided, the service will begin 30 minutes later than published and end 30 minutes earlier.  

This is due to a number of Air Traffic Controllers (ATCOs) leaving the Airport for new roles elsewhere, the airport said.

While the airport has already recruited or promoted five new air traffic control officers, the earliest any of them will be fully trained is not in time to prevent these changes to ATC service provision.

Airport Managing Director, Jason Ivey, said: “This does not mean the airport is totally shut as operators based here will still be able to take off and land using our indemnity scheme.  Additional support on these days is also being investigated. 

"We’ve spent considerable time consulting those that operate from Gloucestershire Airport and have implemented as many of their suggestions as possible, within the bounds of the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) regulations and individual contracts.

"The revised opening times in place for July, August and part of September have meant many of our ATC team have had to cancel leave and change their own family arrangements, for which we are extremely grateful.”  

The new Senior Leadership Team (SLT) put in place a full manpower plan for Air Traffic Control several months ago, covering recruitment, training and succession planning to ensure such a situation will not be repeated. 

This plan included the introduction of the new ATCO pay scales to help with recruitment and retention and the airport has also initiated a £500,000 investment in Air Traffic Control Tower equipment to improve the working environment and service.  

Gloucestershire was the busiest General Aviation Airport in the UK last year, and this, plus the variety and complexity of movements makes it an ideal location for ATCOs to get extensive experience in a short space of time and therefore be able to advance their careers.   

Chris Brian, Air Traffic Services Manager, said: "There is a shortage of Air Traffic Controllers throughout the UK at the moment. This has led to unprecedented demand from larger airfields for more ATCOs and has made it increasingly difficult for airports like ours to recruit new and retain existing staff. 

"Despite our best efforts to counter these challenges we now find ourselves without enough controllers to always provide an ATC service. Having said that, I am extremely proud of the efforts and sacrifices that our ATC staff are making to ensure we do everything possible to support our customers and recover from this situation in the shortest feasible time frame. I could not ask any more of this remarkable team".

Graham Carter, General Manager at Castle Air, said: "As an operator at Gloucestershire Airport, we at Castle Air Academy appreciate the opportunity to provide a ‘user based’ perspective on this difficult situation and to have been consulted throughout the decision-making process to support the conclusion that has been reached in terms of ATC opening hours. The future proofing of ATC is essential for the growth of our organisation over the next 12 months and it is good to hear that there is a plan in place for this.”

Kerry Evans, Technical Director at RGV, added: “We’ve had the opportunity to feed in our thoughts and help shape what is a difficult situation for those that use the airport. The management team have tried to accommodate all operators needs and the future plan for ATC sounds as if this won't happen again, after this interim period to train up the new ATCOs.”

Jason Ivey said: “We recognise that this situation is extremely regrettable but would like to thank the operators for their understanding, support, and for the many messages we have received from those who believe that the new team are doing everything they can to ensure a professional and well managed aviation hub.”      


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Nicky Godding is editor of The Business Magazine. Before her journalism career, she worked mainly in public relations moving into writing when she was invited to launch Retail Watch, a publication covering retail and real estate across Europe.

After some years of constant travelling, she tucked away her passport and concentrated on business writing, co-founding a successful regional business magazine. She has interviewed some of the UK’s most successful entrepreneurs who have built multi-million-pound businesses and reported on many science and technology firsts.

She reports on the region’s thriving business economy from start-ups, family businesses and multi-million-pound corporations, to the professionals that support their growth and the institutions that educate the next generation of business leaders.

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