Beyond the control tower

During times of peak air travel in Australia, there are about 500 airborne aircraft in controlled airspace, with safe operations falling to the highly skilled controllers at Airservices Australia.

Did you know that there are three types of air traffic control (ATC)?

In this video series, we will be sharing several episodes that explains the bits and bobs of ATC.

Watch

Read

Working in air traffic control (ATC) for more than a decade, air traffic controller Ben Ippolito explains that there’s more to ATC than just the tower at the airport. “ATC can be broken into three categories – tower controllers, terminal area or approach controllers and en route controllers. Each category has a very important yet different function,” says Ben.

Read the full feature story in Australian Flying.

Posted on: April 30, 2019

More news
Related topics

Airservices provides safe, secure, efficient and environmentally responsible services to the aviation industry.

Infrastructure in the sky: Why Australia’s growth depends on getting airspace right

Australia is preparing for a 25-30% surge in air traffic over the next decade with billions of dollars pouring into airports, aircraft, drones and improved aviation services. But there’s a bottleneck that could undermine this nation-shaping investment – the largely invisible infrastructure of the sky.

Airservices Australia celebrates International Day of the Air Traffic Controller

It’s a niche, high-pressure and dynamic role – and not one for the faint-hearted – but Airservices Australia’s 900-strong air traffic controller (ATC) workforce wouldn’t have it any other way. Today, on International Day of the Air Traffic Controller (IDATC), we proudly honour our highly skilled, passionate and dedicated ATCs, who operate 24/7 to keep […]

Airservices Australia Releases September Australian Aviation Network Overview 

Airservices Australia has released its Australian Aviation Network Overview report for September 2025. Highlights include: About AirservicesAirservices Australia is a government-owned organisation responsible for safely and efficiently managing air traffic in 11 per cent of the world’s airspace, as well as the provision of aviation rescue fire fighting services at Australia’s busiest airports. We are regulated by […]

Airservices Australia Releases August Australian Aviation Network Overview 

Airservices Australia has released its Australian Aviation Network Overview report for August 2025. Highlights include: About AirservicesAirservices Australia is a government-owned organisation responsible for safely and efficiently managing air traffic in 11 per cent of the world’s airspace, as well as the provision of aviation rescue fire fighting services at Australia’s busiest airports. We are regulated by […]