The requirement for the approval of Air Traffic Services (ATS) units is contained within the Air Navigation (Overseas Territories) Order (AN(OT)O) principally Articles 138 and 153.
The means of compliance with the AN(OT)O are generally contained in:
- OTAR 171 for Aeronautical Telecommunication Services; and
- OTAR 172 for Air Traffic Service Organisation Approval
These Overseas Territories Aviation Requirements (OTARs) are supported by Overseas Territories Aviation Circulars (OTACs) providing further guidance on the requirements.
The approval of an ATS Unit (both Air Traffic Control (ATC) operations and engineering) is on the basis of Air Safety Support International (ASSI) receiving proof of the Unit’s compliance with the detailed requirements of the OTARs. This is achieved by the submission to the Governor of appropriate Safety Assurance Documentation. This may include:
- Manual of Air Traffic Services
- Expositions, detailing how, and by whom, ATS (both operations and engineering) is managed and operated in accordance with safety principles
- Sample Aerodrome Training Plan. To display correctly this MS Word document should be viewed in “Print Layout View”.
Additional, or alternative, documents may serve the same purpose and these documents and their contents may not be exactly as described in the OTARs. If they are not, then the Unit may propose their system as an alternative method of achieving an equivalent standard of safety and the Governor will review the arguments.
Since 2003, International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) have required that ATS has a safety management system, and the OTARs also require this approach. Wherever possible we encourage ATS and airports to produce an integrated Safety Management System to ensure that all aspects of the airport and ATC operations are seamlessly integrated through a structured focus on safety.
Find out more about licensing for Air Traffic Service personnel.
Find out more about medical issues for air traffic controllers including a list of approved medical examiners in the Overseas Territories.