Air traffic controllers manage the safe and orderly flow of aircraft into, out of, and between airports throughout Australia and overseas regions adjoining Australian airspace.
Air traffic control licences
Airservices Australia provides air traffic control (ATC) services in Australia. You need an ATC licence issued by us to be an Airservices air traffic controller.
Eligibility requirements
To apply for an Australian ATC licence, you must meet the requirements of the Civil Aviation Safety Regulations Part 65.
You must:
- be 18 years old
- hold a Class 3 medical certificate
- speak and understand English to an appropriate standard.
You must also have successfully completed the training, including any examination or assessment, for:
- the licence
- at least one rating, and
- at least one endorsement appropriate to the rating.
How to apply for a licence
Once you have completed and passed your training with Airservices, you will need to apply to us for your licence.
- Get an aviation reference number, you can apply online.
- Fill in Form 906 - Air traffic controller (ATC) initial licence / additional rating and exchange application (PDF, 159 KB). Fill in all fields and have it signed by a qualified workplace assessor.
Converting an old licence
If you hold an ATC licence issued under the Civil Aviation Regulations 1988, you don’t need to replace or exchange your licence, unless:
- you qualify for an additional rating
- you change your name or mailing address.
To do this, you need to:
- meet the requirements for an additional rating
- send us a completed Form 906 - Air traffic controller (ATC) initial licence / additional rating and exchange application (PDF, 159 KB)
- attach a photocopy of all 4 pages of your existing licence to your application.
Air traffic controller ratings
Air traffic controllers hold ‘ratings’ which allow them to do certain tasks.
Applying for a rating
You can apply for an additional rating or renew your rating if you:
- already have a licence
- have successfully completed the training for the additional rating.
To do this complete Form 906 - Air traffic controller (ATC) initial licence / additional rating and exchange application PDF, 159 KB). Fill in all fields and have it signed by a qualified workplace assessor.
If you do not hold a Part 65 of CASR licence, you will also need to convert your licence.
Renewing a rating
Ratings are valid for a maximum of 12 months. You must sit the Airservices exam within 12 months of your last exam to have the rating continue.
To renew a rating:
- pass the required exam
- fill in the form Airservices requires for a rating renewal
- send the application to your licensing delegate.