72601 Air traffic controllers and related occupations

What this occupation covers

Air traffic controllers direct air traffic within assigned airspace, and control moving aircraft and service vehicles at airports. Flight service specialists provide pilots with flight information essential to aviation safety. Flight dispatchers authorize airline flights over assigned routes. Air traffic controllers and flight service specialists are employed by NAV Canada and the Canadian Forces. Flight dispatchers are employed by airline and air services companies and by the Canadian Forces.

Official main duties

The NOC profile lists 17 main duties for this code.

• Control flow of air traffic within assigned airspace using radar monitors, radio and other communication equipment and visual references
• Issue aircraft takeoff and landing instructions to pilots and relay meteorological, navigational and other information to pilots in flight
• Maintain radio and telephone contact with adjacent control towers, terminal control units and other area control centres, and coordinate movement of aircraft into adjoining areas
• Alert airport emergency services when aircraft are experiencing difficulties and report missing aircraft to search and rescue services
• Direct activities of all moving aircraft and service vehicles on or near airport runways.
• Provide pre-flight information concerning current and forecast weather conditions, radio frequencies, terrain, airports and related data to assist pilots in preparation of flight plans
• Check flight plans for completeness and accuracy and forward flight plans to air traffic services facility
• Respond to radio calls from aircraft preparing for takeoff or landing and supply information such as weather conditions, wind speed and direction and presence of local air traffic
• Support air traffic control operations by relaying radio requests for flight clearances, arrival and departure information and position reports
• Alert airport emergency services of aircraft experiencing difficulties and initiate communication searches when aircraft become overdue
• Observe, record and report weather conditions at airports.
• Analyze environmental conditions and assess aircraft for load and fuel capacity and other factors to determine flight routes
• Brief flight crew before takeoff on weather conditions, status of navigational facilities and airports while on route
• Co-sign flight authorization with aircraft captain
• Monitor progress of flight and communicate as required with aircraft during flight
• Delay or cancel flights if conditions warrant
• Prepare and maintain flight plans, flight logs and other reports.

Do not copy these lines into your reference letter. The letter has to describe what you actually did, in your employer’s words. DUTYPROOF flags wording lifted from the NOC as something to review, and an officer reading a letter that mirrors the NOC reads it the same way.

What DUTYPROOF screens for

This is DUTYPROOF’s screening threshold, not IRCC’s decision. For this NOC, screening requires at least 3 of its 17 official duties to be evidenced in your own words, plus the required letter elements. IRCC asks that you performed the actions in the occupation’s lead statement and a substantial number of its main duties — so treat the duty coverage as the number that matters, not the badge.

Codes this one is confused with

The NOC profile names these itself. Choosing the wrong code of a look-alike pair is the most common way genuine work experience fails to establish eligibility.

• 72604 Railway traffic controllers and marine traffic regulators

Excluded from this code

• Railway traffic controllers and marine traffic regulators (See 72604 Railway traffic controllers and marine traffic regulators)

Job titles filed under this code

A title on this list does not by itself put your experience in this code — the duties in your letter decide that.

aerospace control operator - Canadian Armed Forces · air traffic control assistant · air traffic control chief · air traffic control officer · air traffic controller (ATC) · air traffic controller (ATC) - Canadian Armed Forces · air traffic coordinator · airline dispatcher · airport air traffic controller · chief air traffic controller · enroute air traffic controller · flight dispatch assistant · flight dispatcher · flight operations officer · flight service specialist (FSS) · head air traffic controller · instrument flight rules air traffic controller · terminal air traffic controller · tower controller - air traffic · visual flight rules air traffic controller

Employment requirements

• Completion of secondary school is required.
• A basic radio telephone operator's licence is required.
• Air traffic controllers and flight service specialists require completion of a NAV Canada training program which includes structured in-class and on-the-job training.
• Air traffic controllers require an air traffic controller's licence.
• Flight dispatchers may require experience in air traffic control or flight operations and may require a private pilot's licence.