Time flies by

in safety

The “freedom above the clouds“ that was once so prized is increasingly being eroded by growing air traffic density. The fact that chaos has not broken out in Austrian airspace is due to Austro Control’s air traffic controllers. Their main tasks is, “keeping air traffic flowing as safely, quickly and smoothly as possible." The aim is safe, efficient and economic flight operations.

Austro Control is responsible for safety throughout Austrian airspace. Unnoticed by passengers, Austro Control staff maintain air traffic safety, working round the clock, 365 days a year — often under extreme conditions. This is no easy task, with as many as 4,000 flight movements taking place on some days.

From the moment when an aircraft’s engines are started up through to permission to taxi to the take-off point and take-off itself, nothing can happen without the go-ahead from the air traffic controller. And even when the aircraft has long since disappeared among the clouds it remains under observation.