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.

Third round of UAS Industry Participation Scholarship now open

Applications are now open for the third round of the Uncrewed Aircraft System (UAS) Industry Participation Scholarship, supporting the development of future leaders in Australia’s rapidly growing uncrewed aviation sector. Announced by Airservices Australia Chief Executive Officer Rob Sharp at the RPAS in Australian Skies 2026 conference, the scholarship is delivered in partnership with the […]

Airservices Australia continues to advance on Culture Journey in 2026

Airservices Australia is continuing to strengthen its workplace culture through its organisation-wide Culture Improvement Program, launched in 2025 to accelerate progress toward a respectful, inclusive and psychologically safe environment for all employees. This work builds on the foundations established through the independent reviews conducted by Elizabeth Broderick & Co., with all recommendations deemed substantially addressed […]

Airservices Australia Releases February 2026 Australian Aviation Network Overview

Airservices Australia has released its Australian Aviation Network Overview report for February 2026. 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 […]

Airservices Australia aviation rescue fire fighters call for more recruits on International Women’s Day

Airservices Australia aviation rescue fire fighters have marked International Women’s Day (IWD) by encouraging more women to join the dynamic frontline service – a high-impact career at the heart of Australia’s aviation industry. In a Channel 7News Melbourne exclusive today, to mark IWD, Airservices’ Aviation Rescue Fire Fighting (ARFF) service instructors Kristin Alston and Alissa […]