The Air Navigation Order 1995

Licensing of air traffic controllers and student air traffic controllers

81.—(1) (a) Subject to sub-paragraph (b), the Authority shall grant a licence subject to such conditions as it thinks fit to any person to act as an air traffic controller or as a student air traffic controller upon its being satisfied that the applicant is a fit person to hold the licence and is qualified by reason of his knowledge, experience, competence, skill, physical and mental fitness so to act, and for that purpose the applicant shall furnish such evidence and undergo such examinations and tests (including in particular medical examinations) and undertake such courses of training as the Authority may require of him.

(b)The Authority shall not grant:

(i)a student air traffic controller’s licence to any person under the age of 18 years; or

(ii)an air traffic controller’s licence to any person under the age of 20 years.

(2) Subject to the provisions of article 71 of this Order, a licence to act as an air traffic controller or a student air traffic controller shall remain in force for the period indicated in the licence and may be renewed by the Authority from time to time, upon its being satisfied that the applicant is a fit person and is qualified as aforesaid. If no period is indicated in the licence, it shall remain in force, subject as aforesaid, for the lifetime of the holder.

(3) The Authority may include in an air traffic controller’s licence, subject to such conditions as it thinks fit and upon its being satisfied that the applicant is qualified as aforesaid to act in the capacity to which the rating relates, a rating of any of the classes set forth in Schedule 9 to this Order specifying the type of air traffic control service which the holder of the licence is competent to provide and such a rating shall be deemed to form part of the licence.

(4) (a) The holder of an air traffic controller’s licence shall not be entitled to exercise the privileges of a rating contained in the licence at any place or for any sector or with any type of radar equipment unless the licence includes a valid certificate of competence in respect of that rating which is appropriate to that place or sector and that equipment (if any) which certificate complies with sub-paragraph (b).

(b)A valid certificate of competence shall be signed by a person authorised by the Authority to sign certificates of that kind and shall not be appropriate to the exercise of the privileges of a rating at any place or for any sector or with any type of radar equipment unless the certificate specifies that place or sector and that type of radar equipment, if any, with the aid of which the service is to be provided, certifies that the person signing the certificate is satisfied that on a date specified in the certificate the holder of the licence of which the certificate forms part has passed an appropriate test of his ability to exercise the privileges of the rating at the place or for the sector and with the type of radar equipment, if any, specified in the certificate and specifies the date on which it was signed. A certificate of competence shall be valid, subject to paragraph (2), for 13 months after the date of the test which it certifies.

(5) (a) If throughout any period of 90 days the holder of a licence has not at any time provided at a particular place or for a particular sector and with the aid of the type of radar equipment, if any, specified in a certificate of competence, the type of air traffic control service specified in the rating to which the certificate of competence relates, the certificate shall, without prejudice to the Authority’s powers under article 71 of this Order, cease to be valid for that place or sector at the end of that period.

(b)Upon a certificate of competence ceasing to be valid for a place or sector the holder of the licence shall forthwith inform the person who is approved pursuant to article 77 of this Order to provide an air traffic control service at that place or for that sector to that effect and shall forward the licence to a person approved by the Authority for the purpose who shall endorse the licence accordingly and return it to the holder forthwith.

(6) Every licence to act as a student air traffic controller shall be valid only for the purpose of authorising the holder to act as an air traffic controller under the supervision of another person who is present at the time and who is the holder of an air traffic controller’s licence entitling him to provide unsupervised the type of air traffic control service which is being provided by the student air traffic controller and who is approved by the Authority for this purpose.

(7) A licence to act as an air traffic controller or a student air traffic controller shall not be valid unless the holder of the licence has signed his name thereon in ink with his ordinary signature.

(8) Every holder of an air traffic controller’s licence or a student air traffic controller’s licence shall upon such occasions as the Authority may require, submit himself to such examinations and tests (including in particular medical examinations) and furnish such evidence as to his knowledge, experience, competence and skill and undergo such courses of training as the Authority may require.

(9) On the basis of the medical examination referred to in paragraph (8), the Authority or any person approved by it as competent to do so may issue a medical certificate subject to such conditions as it or he thinks fit to the effect that the holder of the licence has been assessed as fit to perform the functions to which the licence relates. The certificate shall, without prejudice to article 84 of this Order, be valid for such period as is therein specified, and shall be deemed to form part of the licence.

(10) (a) The holder of an air traffic controller’s licence shall not act as an air traffic controller unless his licence includes a medical certificate issued and in force under paragraph (9).

(b)The holder of a student air traffic controller’s licence shall not act in accordance with paragraph (6) unless his licence includes a medical certificate issued and in force under paragraph (9).

(11) For the purposes of this Part of the Order and Schedule 9 thereto, “acting as an air traffic controller” shall mean the giving of instructions or advice or both instructions and advice by means of radio signals (whether directly or indirectly via a person acting in accordance with article 83(3)(b) of this Order) to aircraft in the interests of safety.