The International Day of the Air Traffic Controller was celebrated today at Airports Authority of India, Air Traffic Control complex, LGBI Airport Guwahati. This year also marks the completion of 100 years of Air Traffic Control Profession.
The event was inaugurated by Lamp Lighting Ceremony by the Chief Guest, Shri Sanmukh Jugani, Regional Executive Director of North East Region, AAI Guwahati along with Guest of Honour Squadron Leader Shri. Rahul Chamoli, Operational Adjutant COO, Indian Air Force; Shri Snehashish Dutta, COO of AGIAL (Guwahati Airport); General Manager (HR) Shri Gian Batra; General Manager (CNS) Shri P. Acharya; Officiating GM (Air Traffic Management) Shri Rajiv Sarma and senior pilots of Indigo, AirAsia & Flybig Airlines. Senior officials of AAI, LGBI Airport, Guwahati and Air Traffic Controllers of Guwahati Airport and other stakeholders were also present on the occasion.
Sri Sanmukh Jugani, Regional Executive Director, AAI in his address appreciated the efforts put in by the ATCOs who perform with utmost dedication and sincerity even in the most adverse situations. “ATC is an essential key to the safety of aviation. Air Traffic Controllers across the globe work every hour of every day to maintain a safe and efficient flow of air traffic. I congratulate them for putting their wonderful show in the aviation,” he said.
The function was organised by the ATC Guild(I), North East Region members with a symposium and a brief presentation of the Day at Regional Training Centre of LGBI Airport, Guwahati.
In his presentation, Regional President of ATC Guild NER, Shri Prabhakar Prabhat congratulated all on the occasion of 61st International Day of the Air Traffic Controllers. This day is marked as foundation day of International Federation of Air Traffic Controllers’ Associations (IFATCA) in 1961 and on completion of 100 years of ATC profession. He briefed the audience regarding history of ATC and as IFATCA decided to celebrate the birth of ATC in 1922. The timeline events that mark this Day comprises: CINA rules were ratified and signed by 10 countries. First mid-air collision in 1922 over Normandy (France) convincingly demonstrated the need for ATC services to avoid collision between aircraft. The First ATC tower was commissioned at Croydon, London in 1922. Jimmy Jeff was first licensed Air Traffic Controller in 1922.
On this event at Guwahati was addressed by Shri Gian Batra General Manager (HR); Shri P. Acharya GM(CNS); Shri Snehashish Dutta, COO of AGIAL; Dr. Sanjay O’Neill Shaw, Regional Meteorological Director and the Airlines Pilots wherein they congratulated all the ATC officers and wished them the best who work as the Guardians of the sky, round the clock, across the globe. All appreciated the role of ATCOs in civil aviation and encouraged them to continue their work with high level of dedication and professional acumen.
The Air Traffic Controllers around the world guide well over 1,00,000 aircraft safely to their destination while working round the clock behind the scenes of normal airport operations. During the pandemic, in the shadow of outbreak of Covid-19, they worked as the COVID warriors and put an immense effort to ensure the movement of the vaccines across the country in a timely manner. The event ended with a vote of thanks by Regional Secretary, Sri Chandra Mohan Paswan.
