Airtraffic controllers hold open day

As part of activities marking the International Day of the Air Traffic Controllers on October 20, the Airtraffic Controllers Association of Ghana (ACAG) on Friday held an Open Day in Accra.

It was meant to showcase its activities to the public.

The Open Day which took place in the Control Tower Building of the Kotoka International Airport (KIA) was patronised by students and teachers from the Presbyterian Boys Senior High School, Legon and Saint Thomas Aquinas Senior High School, Labone, journalists and the public.

Mr William Amoako, an Airtraffic Controller with Ghana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), who conducted the students and the media around the facility, said air traffic controllers are people trained to maintain the safe, orderly and expeditious flow of air traffic.

He said the position of air traffic controller is one that requires highly specialised knowledge, skills, and abilities.

He said controllers apply separation rules to keep aircraft at a safe distance from each other in their area of responsibility and move all aircraft safely and efficiently through their assigned sector of airspace, as well as on the ground.

Mr Amoako noted that because controllers had an extremely large responsibility while on duty and make countless split-second decisions on daily basis, the air traffic control profession is regarded as a very challenging career.

He said Air Traffic Controllers communicate with pilots using radars based on radio frequencies, and Controller Pilot Data Link Communication/Automatic Dependence Surveillance (CPDLC/ADS), which is search light driven.

He said on daily basis about 140 flights are recorded at the KIA, whereas, about 300 flights passed through the Accra Flight Information Region.

The tour took the visitors through the Control Centre, the Control Tower and the Meteorological Centre.

Source: GNA