Why 120 new air traffic controllers are needed each year for airports like Gatwick and Heathrow
Tap to watch a video report by ITV News Meridian's James Dunham
For the first time in three years air traffic controllers are being recruited to keep planes safe as they take off and land at the country's largest airports, such as Gatwick and Heathrow.
The recruitment drive will help fill 120 positions every year to counter staff retiring but to meet the increasing traveller demand with passenger numbers on airlines such as Wizz Air and Easyjet bouncing back following the pandemic.
Based in Swanwick and Whiteley in Hampshire, NATS, formally National Air Traffic Services, are targeting their recruitment drive at women in an attempt to diversify the sector.
Kim Gough has been an air traffic controller for ten years and has overseen inbound and outbound travel at both Luton and Stansted Airports.
Before being swayed by aviation, Kim intended to have career in medicine but has no regrets over her day job where she keeps a sharp eye on the sky where she can be managing dozens of planes each hour, alongside her team.
"It's so satisfying. You don't think at the time you're just concentrating on doing the work, but when you come out and you think, wow, that was a that was a busy session.
"We worked really well together as a team...there is no better feeling than just going, yeah, I did that."
"It's the best I ever made to not become a doctor but to become an air traffic controller. The job satisfaction is off the chart!
"The teamwork is amazing and talking to pilots and flight crew is the best part of my day. I love speaking to pilots of all shapes and sizes of planes. You won't regret it.
"I can still only remember the first time I sat on the radar and I tripped over my words and it felt like I could only manage about two planes, but the training is great and thorough, and I look back where I was then and where I am now and know that it is so worth it."
Helen Fuge, Head of Talent Services explains why there is a gender divide in air traffic control,
"I think the key reason is just the severe lack of females within engineering disciplines, and that goes all the way back to education.
"We want to be a key enabler to ensure that more women are going into Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics careers and really making aviation appealing to women.
"We try and dispel the fact that so many people think it's the individuals leading the aircraft in the orange suits with the panels, and it's making sure that there's the awareness of just how important an air traffic controller role is.
"We know businesses that are inclusive and diverse are more successful, they make better decisions and are more effective, but fundamentally we believe improving diversity across our organisation to better reflect the world around us is simply the right thing to do."
Gatwick's largest carrier Easyjet is planning flying one million more seats this season compared to last summer with 28% more capacity to beach destinations.
Fellow carrier Wizz Air is putting on twice the number of routes compared to 2019.
Managing Director of Wizz Air UK Marion Geoffroy said, "it's very encouraging and we've been waiting for that for three years.
"There were lots of discussion and concerns around cost of living and other different habits people would have would have taken during the pandemic.
"We don't see that at all. We see very strong demand for our travel, but most important, for affordable air travel.
"Customers are looking for cheaper and this is where players like Wizz have an important role to play to give customers a choice of destinations, which we've increased, to encourage everyone to travel this summer.
"When we talk about employment, indirect and direct employment, we started to recruit in 2021 ahead of our expansion last year.
"In the UK we are an 800 employee airline and many more direct jobs are created through our presence in all of the supply chains."
Back in Hampshire, Kim says the role gives her a unique insight into what is going on when you are a sat waiting on a runway.
More information on recruitment can be found here
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