MENA Aviation Careers: The Tower

In this second instalment of our four-part exploration of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) aviation training, we shift focus from the flight deck to the operational core of the industry: Air Traffic Control (ATC). The management of national airspace directly intersects with state defence, prompting governments across the region to rapidly accelerate nationalisation policies.

ATC Entry Requirements: Candidate Profile

Becoming an Air Traffic Control Officer (ATCO) is restricted in some countries by nationalisation agendas such as Emiratisation and Saudisation. In the United Arab Emirates, the National ATC Training Program, managed by Global Air Navigation Services (GANS), is exclusive to UAE Nationals who hold both a passport and a family book. According to the GCAA National Air Traffic Control training program website, candidates must be between the ages of 18 and 24 and have an 80% high school average, specifically in Mathematics, Physics, and English or a college/university degree.

A change is happening in Saudi Arabia, where Saudi Air Navigation Services (SANS) has disrupted historical gender norms. SANS actively prioritises the recruitment and empowerment of female ATCOs, training up to 80 women annually to integrate them into active airspace management. This successful initiative saw its first cohort assume live operational duties in 2019.

English Proficiency and Medical Standards

Securing a place in these elite academies requires passing cognitive, physiological, and linguistic assessments.

• Linguistic requirements are high, with the sector demanding at least ICAO Level 4 Technical Aviation English proficiency, often benchmarked against an IELTS score of 5.5.
• In Qatar, the Qatar Aeronatical Academy (QAA) places emphasis on this requirement, offering dedicated foundation courses to ensure all trainees comfortably exceed proficiency requirements before they communicate with live aircraft.
• Medical fitness is evaluated and non-negotiable; chronic conditions such as diabetes or colour blindness lead to immediate disqualification.
• Once accepted, candidates face rigorous certification standards.
• The Saudi Academy of Civil Aviation (SACA), for instance, has six advanced simulation laboratories to replicate severe weather phenomena, in-flight emergencies, and degraded equipment scenarios.

How the Middle East is Localising ATC

Unlike commercial flight training, which frequently relies on European academies, ATC training is localised. The UAE manages its airspace training via GANS at the Sheikh Zayed Air Navigation Centre (SZC) in Abu Dhabi. 

Similarly, Saudi Arabia has centralised its operations at SACA in Jeddah. Qatar mirrors this approach through QAA in Doha, which focuses heavily on developing homegrown ATC talent. Within the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), state-controlled infrastructure leads the way.

North Africa and the Levant host an established training network. Egypt’s Air Traffic Control College (ATCC), part of the Egyptian Aviation Academy (EAA) at 6th of October Airport, is a primary ICAO-accredited regional hub for Africa and the Middle East, training controllers for Egypt’s National Air Navigation Services Company (NANSC) and neighbouring North African nations.

Morocco’s Académie Internationale Mohammed VI de l’Aviation Civile (AIAC) at Casablanca’s Mohammed V International Airport operates as an ICAO TRAINAIR PLUS Regional Training Centre of Excellence, supplying certified ATCOs across North and West Africa. 

In the Levant, Jordan’s Civil Aviation Regulatory Commission (CARC) oversees local ATC certification, using specialised regional civil aviation institutes and simulation centres in Amman, such as the Queen Noor Aviation University College (QNAC), to train controllers who manage high-density transit corridors bordering Europe and the Arabian Peninsula.

From Classroom to Control Tower

Becoming a fully qualified ATCO is a multi-year investment. The training timeline with GANS spans 2.5 to 3 years, including classroom instruction,  on-the-job training, assessments and licensing.

The educational progression adheres to the modules outlined in ICAO Document 4444. All trainees must  undertake the following modules:

• Basic Induction (ICAO 051): Classroom-based introductory training over 8 to 12 weeks.
• Aerodrome Control (ICAO 052): This initial tower simulator module takes  8 to 12 weeks.
• Approach Procedural Control (ICAO 053): Students progress to non-radar approach control for 6 to 8 weeks.
• Approach and Area Surveillance Rating (ICAO 054): The course concludes with this highly complex radar module, which lasts 9 to 12 weeks.

ATC instruction combines intensive classroom theory with high-stress simulator immersion. Academies like SACA go beyond the basics; they provide extensive continuation training in modern airspace protocols, including Performance-Based Navigation (PBN) and Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) operations. 

To prepare cadets for the physical demands of the job, the training also includes shift work. Trainees must adapt to schedules that they will experience in real-world environments, such as cycles of six consecutive working days comprising morning, afternoon, and overnight shifts, followed by four rest days. 

Finding the Next Generation

To encourage students to take up this career, financial incentive schemes have been put in place in some countries, especially in the GCC. For instance, in the UAE, GANS trainees receive a monthly allowance of over 10,000 AED, followed by a guaranteed starting salary of over 50,000 AED upon the formal issuance of their GCAA ATC Licence.