The Agency for the Provision of Services in Air Navigation (BHANSA) embarked on an ambitious project of its own training of future air traffic controllers, in order to solve the increasingly pronounced problem of the lack of this highly specialized personnel.
In the first phase, this would be done with the help of a reference company or institution from abroad, but unlike previous years, the training would take place in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
After that, BHANSA would gradually take over that process completely, and the plans are that in the near future, in addition to our own, personnel will be trained for the needs of other markets as well.
As it is a highly sought-after profession, many rich countries attract trained air traffic controllers from around the world and offer them attractive business offers.
This problem is also faced by many countries of the European Union, so it is not surprising that a number of air traffic controllers from Bosnia and Herzegovina have already accepted offers from Arab and other rich countries.
BHANSA director Davorin Primorac points out that the world currently lacks about 15,000 air traffic controllers, and BHANSA’s 143 regional and airport controllers are among the better ones because they work in demanding conditions every day, regulating up to 1,700 flights a day in a small part of the sky.
“In order to maintain our ability to provide high-quality and reliable services in air navigation, we decided to train future air traffic controllers ourselves for the needs of Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as other countries.
We started a campaign to introduce students to the opportunities offered by this job in universities. We believe that their interest, as well as that of other candidates who meet the basic requirements, will be great and that we will soon start the training, of course at this moment with the assistance of a renowned foreign company, Primorac points out.
It is a specific activity that requires certain abilities and qualities that will obviously be important in the selection, but also in the training of future controllers. They regulate air traffic, that is, they provide instructions and information to aircraft crews for the purpose of safe separation. That is why it is important to choose the best candidates for this demanding job.
As announced by Primorac, special conditions will be required in the selection process, which include cognitive abilities and health status.
“Training for an air traffic controller is demanding and lasts up to three years. BHANSA bears the costs of training, accommodation, and compensation during studies. After the successful training, the scholarship holders get a permanent job in our agency,” points out Primorac, who is convinced that Bosnia and Herzegovina can quickly position itself as a regional center for the training of air traffic controllers.
