Air traffic controllers provide pilots with flight information to help ensure that every flight takes off, operates, and lands safely. They work in surveillance control centres and control towers, using equipment such as radar and radios to provide guidance and instructions to pilots.
While safety is the primary concern for air traffic controllers, they must also direct aircraft efficiently to minimize delays. They manage the flow of aircraft in and out of airport airspace, guide pilots during takeoff and landing, and monitor aircraft as they travel through the skies.
In New Zealand, air traffic controllers work from Airways New Zealand’s operating centres in Christchurch and Auckland or one of 17 control towers across the country. Our team safely guides over 400,000 flights through our skies every year.
Flight service officers play a crucial role in ensuring the safety and efficiency of aviation in New Zealand. They provide essential information and support to pilots, helping to guide aircraft safely through the skies.
Flight service officers’ expertise in managing air traffic in non-controlled environments is vital, particularly in remote or busy regions where their guidance helps ensure that every flight reaches its destination safely.
In New Zealand, flight service officers work in one of Airways New Zealand’s two flight service aerodromes in Paraparaumu and Milford Sound, or in one of the two operating centres located in Auckland and Christchurch.
Following completion of Airways International’s academy training for air traffic services, you will earn a New Zealand Civil Aviation Air Traffic Trainee Licence or Flight Service Trainee Licence, which is recognised by the International Civil Aviation Organisation.
Air traffic control students will be awarded a New Zealand Certificate in Air Traffic Services (Level 5) and a New Zealand Diploma in Air Traffic Services (Level 6). Flight service students will earn a New Zealand Certificate in Air Traffic Services (Level 5).
It may be possible for you to cross credit to Massey University’s Bachelor of Aviation Management from your air traffic services qualifications, should you choose to study at Massey.
On successful completion of your on-job training with Airways New Zealand, you will be issued with a New Zealand Civil Aviation Air Traffic Control or Flight Service licence.
You may be eligible to access a student loan if you meet StudyLink’s eligibility requirements – take this eligibility test to find out. You may also be eligible for a student allowance or loan to support your living costs while you study.
As each person’s entitlement varies according to their personal circumstances, we recommend that you contact StudyLink on 0800 889 900 to discuss eligibility. Please note fees are reviewed annually and subject to change.
Due to limited places on Airways International’s air traffic services training programme, all applicants are required to undergo our full selection process. The intent of this is to offer training to those students who have demonstrated skills and aptitudes which will maximise their chance of success and reaching their full potential. Research suggests that only 2-3% of the global population possess the competencies to succeed in air traffic services – therefore selecting the right person from the start saves you, the student, time and money by improving your chances for training success.
An air traffic services trainee who is completing their on-job training with Airways New Zealand would start on a salary of around $60,000 (including a base salary and some entitlements such as shift loadings and allowances).
An air traffic controller who has completed their on-job training with Airways New Zealand might start on a salary of around $105,000 (including a base salary and some entitlements such as shift loadings and allowances).
A flight service officer who has completed their on-job training might start on a salary ranging from $60,000 to $115,000 depending on the role and location (including a base salary and a range of entitlements such as shift loadings, superannuation and allowances).
A Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) Class 3 medical certificate is a requirement for all air traffic controllers for any on-job training, providing quality assurance that Airways New Zealand staff are fit to provide air traffic services. All air traffic control staff are required to keep these certificates current, as per the Civil Aviation Act 1990. Flight service officers are not required to hold a Class 3 medical certificate.
If you have any doubt about your health, medication, or medical history, you are advised to arrange a Class 3 Issue Medical Examination with a CAA appointed Medical Examiner as soon as possible (the list of Examiners is available here).
Some common causes which may prevent a person from obtaining a Class 3 medical certificate include colour blindness, a history of seizures, fainting and some medications (see here for more information).
If you have any questions, please contact med@caa.govt.nz. If you are in doubt, consult a CAA Medical Examiner. Airways New Zealand has its own Corporate Medical Adviser, whom staff or the CAA Medical Examiner can approach for advice – however the final decision on medical fitness is made by the CAA Medical Unit, not Airways New Zealand.
Once you have successfully completed the Airways International air traffic services training programme, you may be able to work as an air traffic control trainee or a flight service trainee for Airways New Zealand, subject to:
Your first four weeks of training is online and can be completed from anywhere – self directed, at your own pace. The next six weeks (flight service training) or first eight to nine months (air traffic control training) is undertaken at the Airways International training centre in Christchurch – you must be able to relocate in order to carry out the training.
Training delivery is face-to-face and consists of theory and practical components, with practical training undertaken in our air traffic control simulators. A significant amount of effort and study is required throughout, and each stage of training has assessment requirements which must be successfully completed in order to progress.
Training course hours for the Christchurch Training Centre are usually scheduled between 0700hrs and 1900hrs Monday to Friday, on the basis of seven hours per training day – comprising six contact hours and a one-hour lunch break with study time required outside these times. If we’re busy in the sims, start times may need to be staggered to fit in with other sim users – for example, 0600 to 1400, 1030 to 1800, 1600 to 2400. Please note that we shut down over Christmas for a minimum of two weeks.
Breaks are scheduled during the course – you will have holiday breaks of between one and three weeks depending on the time of year.
Following successful completion of the training programme, you may be offered an employment contract with Airways New Zealand, and relocate to undertake on-job training for approximately four to nine months. The time spent in on-job training is dependent on the location and your learning capacity.
The locations for on-job training vary for each student – these locations are typically regional aerodrome towers such as Rotorua, Palmerston North, Napier, Invercargill and New Plymouth. For flight service, on-job training is either in Airways New Zealand’s Paraparaumu or Milford Sound aerodromes, or in one of their surveillance centres in Christchurch or Auckland. Students are advised of the on-job training locations in the last few weeks of their training programme. While Airways New Zealand considers your preferences, you must be flexible and have the ability to relocate within New Zealand.
You will progress through training with your course according to a published schedule, which you will receive with your enrolment documents. The schedule is heavily dependent on the availability of people and equipment such as simulators. For this reason holiday leave is generally not available, and breaks are scheduled in the programme at the same time as others on your course.
If you need to take leave for other reasons, for example illness, you will need to catch up with the progress of others on your course.
If you are under 20 years old at the start of your training (for flight service), a minimum of a Level 2 NCEA pass (12 credits pass in Maths at Level 1 and 8 credits in English at Level 2) and 42 other credits at Level 3 or equivalent is required. If you are over 20 years old (for air traffic control), we will consider your tertiary education and/or work experience, and your online assessment results.
We only accept you into training in your 20th year, as you can’t gain a New Zealand CAA licence until you are 21 years old. In the meantime, go and do something you enjoy, and what you’re good at. You don’t need a tertiary qualification to gain entry to our air traffic services training programme, but the commitment required completing one will assist you when you do start studying with us.
While there aren’t any specific subjects that will aid you in your application or study, we recommend strong literacy and numeracy rich subjects.
The training programme is intensive, so completion of study at an appropriate level will support your training success.
If you’re selected to join our air traffic services training programme, the fees for 2024 are:
Air traffic control training: $14,000 (inclusive of GST). This comprises of the following courses, and upon completion you are eligible for a New Zealand Civil Aviation Air Traffic Trainee Licence:
Flight service training: $3,000 (inclusive of GST). This comprises the 051 Licensing Subjects module, and upon completion you are eligible for a New Zealand Civil Aviation Flight Service Trainee Licence.
These fees cover all tuition costs and course materials of the air traffic control and flight service training programmes. You will need to provide your own computer during the course.
Course fees are to be paid before your training programme starts.
Air traffic controllers and flight service officers for Airways New Zealand work at surveillance centres, airport control towers and sometimes even air shows. Typically, they work 7.5 hour shifts and are rostered four days on and two days off with five weeks’ annual leave.
If you are accepted, you will be expected to find your own accommodation in Christchurch and again when you relocate for on-job training. There may be others starting the course at the same time looking for a flatmate.
If your application meets our requirements, we will ask you to sit our online aptitude tests. These tests are specifically designed to see if you have the ability to be an air traffic controller or flight service officer. We measure your ability to follow written instructions, to visualise three dimensionally, solve complex problems under time pressure and accurately check data. If you meet the requirements, we’ll ask you to then complete a personality questionnaire. If you are successful at this stage, you will be considered for a place at our Assessment Centre.
As these assessments are measuring your aptitude for air traffic services, including qualities such as the ability to stay calm under pressure, the ability to make decisions while processing a raft of information, and spatial awareness – there is no practical preparation you can do.
You do not need to study for these assessments. We recommend that you are well rested, have a quiet space, and sufficient time allocated to complete each test. At the start of each test there are a couple of practice questions (which you can retake a few times to feel comfortable), but we do not have practice assessments available.
The induction module for all students covers meteorology, aircraft operations, air navigation, navigation aids, communications, aviation law, human performance and air traffic services equipment.
For air traffic control students, the simulator modules cover the basics of hands-on air traffic control in the aerodrome tower and surveillance centre environment. It teaches students how to keep aircraft separated using a range of tools, rules and procedures.
While every effort is made to keep the recruitment process as short as possible, please understand that the process to select students for our air traffic services training programme is thorough and may take months to complete.
Following your application, you may not hear back from us for several months to know if you were successful. Our application and testing process is open all year round, and we have two intakes per year.
You can only apply once per intake. If you are unsuccessful, you will be able to re-apply once the next intake is open.
We typically have two intakes per year for our air traffic services training programme – in April and October.
If you are invited to an Assessment Centre and you are unsuccessful, you will be required to have a stand-down period of 18 months before you can re-apply.
Please note that if you have been unsuccessful at an Assessment Centre twice you will not be eligible to re-apply.
You will most likely be hearing from us via email. Sometimes candidates don’t receive our emails – typically because they have gone to spam or junk folders.
If you’ve checked these folders and still haven’t found an email from us, please contact us.
Due to the large volume of applications we receive, we’re unable to respond via phone to individual enquiries in the early stages of the application process. Our main communication method with you is via email, once you have submitted your application. Please ensure you check your junk and spam folders in case any of our emails have landed in there.
If you have any other questions, please contact us here.
The training to become an air traffic controller with Airways International is carried out according to International Civil Aviation Organization guidelines, for the achievement of NZ CAA licences and NZQA qualifications. However, there can be large variations in the recruitment requirements for other countries, with most looking for full air traffic control licences, and some work experience.
