AIR CONTROL IN WARSAW SHALL WE GO TO POLAND?
When last May ATCEUC had its 51st Congress in Warsaw, we had an excellent opportunity to know more closely how air traffic controls works in Poland. The visits to Warsaw tower and control centre gave us some really pleasant surprises. The systems, the equipment and the work conditions of Polish controllers make of this a very suitable place to develop our career.
Text and pictures: Pablo Ascariz (Barcelona ACC) USCA International Secretary
B
etween last 3rd and 5th of May, ATCEUC (Air Traffic Controllers European Unions Coordination) held its 51 st Congress in Warsaw. The hosts were this time the members of ZZKRL (Zwiazek Zawodowy Kontrolerow Ruchu Lotniczego), the Polish air traffic controllers’ union. Attending this event provided some members of USCA International Secretariat with the opportunity to do some research on the peculiarities of air traffic control in this country, and so we arranged a visit to the tower of WarsawChopin airport and the adjacent control centre.
WARSAW-CHOPIN AIRPORT AND ITS CONTROL TOWER The airport is about 6 miles southwest of the city and is the principal in the country, with about 50% total passengers in Poland. In 2016, over 12’5 million people used it and it registered almost 130.000 operations. After security we get to the main building where the control centre is and from where we also can access the tower. This is not too big, but it looks brand new and it is very well equipped. It has four control positions that are operational during the day, 92
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