Hyderabad: The 101st Air Traffic Management & Air Laws (Basic) course culminated at Air Force Academy, Dundigal, in which 31 officers from the Indian Navy, Air Force, Indian Coast Guard, Nigerian and Philippines Air Force, graduated as Air Traffic Controllers. Air Marshal A.S. Butola, Commandant, Air Force Academy was the chief guest at the valedictory ceremony as the reviewing officer.
Flying Officer Ritik Saroha was adjudged first in the overall order of Merit and Flying Officer Abhishek Mandiyal was adjudged the most promising trainee of the course.
Speaking on the occasion, Air Marshal A.S. Butola, Commandant Air Force Academy, acquainted the graduating officers to the challenges of the fast growing aviation sector, the rapid technological advancements and safety requirements.
“The air traffic controllers have a bigger role in times of distress, natural calamities and hostilities. The fresh entrants should be more operationally-oriented and safety conscious while conducting Air Traffic Controller operations,” said the Air Marshal.
The young graduating officers of the 101st ATM & Air Laws (Basic) course will soon be employed as Air Traffic Controllers at various military airfields in India and abroad, some of them at busy joint military-civil airfields.
Air Traffic Control Officers Training Establishment (ATCOTE) at Air Force Academy, is a specialist Air Traffic Controller training and testing establishment of the Indian Air Force (IAF) which trains officers not only from the IAF but also from the Indian Army (IA), Indian Navy (IN), Indian Coast Guard (ICG) and Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL), as well as Officers from the Armed Forces of various friendly foreign countries.
ATM & Air Laws (Basic) course is a six-month- long immaculately crafted training programme which covers all aspects of Surface movement, Aerodrome and Approach Control Functions in accordance with the International Civil Aviation Organisation standards moulded to suit the requirements of military and joint user airfields.
