PATCG voices concern over slow career progression system

RECORDER REPORT

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Air Traffic Controller’s Guild (PATCG) expressed grave concern over slow career progression system for air traffic controllers in Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA).

The PATCG held general body meeting at Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad and all other airports across Pakistan simultaneously, which was chaired by president PATCG Ghulam Mustafa Morejo at Karachi.

They said that recent departmental promotion committee held by PCAA also did not address the longstanding issue of promotions of air traffic controllers in higher groups and system for promotions in higher group for the core trade of PCAA, i.e, Air Traffic Control (ATC).

It was unanimously decided in the meeting through majority of votes that talks with higher management of CAA will be held to enhance number of seats for air traffic controllers in higher groups and if the same is not done other options at hand will be considered as a next course of action.

In Pakistan CAA air traffic control is core trade and major directorate that earns more than 80 percent of its revenue and more than 45 percent officers in Pakistan Civil Aviation are Air Traffic Controllers (ATCs); however, ratio of air traffic controllers at higher seats in merely 5 percent. This ratio is up to 25 percent for some supporting trades like engineering branch.

They said that International Civil Aviation Authority has clearly issued guidelines to treat ATC as a specialised trade and establish a separate career progression path for air traffic controllers owning to their extremely technical, unique, sensitive and specialised nature of job.