Nearly 1,600 air traffic controller posts vacant

Nearly 1,600 posts of air traffic controllers are lying vacant at different airports in the country, government said today.
"The existing strength of Air Traffic Controller Officers (ATCOs) is 2,296 against the sanctioned strength of 3,890," Minister of State for Civil Aviation Mahesh Sharma said in a written reply to the Lok Sabha.
He was responding to a query on whether the Airports Authority of India (AAI) is facing huge shortage of air traffic controllers.
According to the minister, AAI is expected to complete recruitment for 400 posts of junior executive (ATC) by March next year.
"In order to fill 400 posts of Junior Executive (ATC), AAI initiated process of recruitment in September 2015, with scheduled completion in March 2016," Sharma said.

There are 476 airports in the country, including operational and non-operational ones.

AAI owns and manages 125 airports, out of which 26 are civil enclaves and 30 are non-operational.
To a separate query, Sharma said that AAI has initiated several steps to make loss-making airports viable and profitable.
The minister, in another reply, said: "The losses incurred at various airports are primarily due to low air traffic movements resulting in lesser aeronautical revenue, low non-aeronautical revenue potential and basic operating expenditure on account of regulatory/IATA (International Air Transport Association) and security requirements".