After a successful establishment of a comprehensive national training system for tower, approach and en-route traffic controllers, but also the introduction of a new tower simulator, which is a product of domestic intelligence necessary for practical training, the first tower air traffic controller has completed a full training in Croatia .
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By 2020, all air traffic controllers who monitor Croatian sky had to complete part of this demanding training in European training organizations. Only the last part of the training was conducted in CROCONTROL. In addition to the significant cost, such organized training has resulted in the lack of development of domestic training experts.
“I am proud that I have successfully passed the demanding tests of knowledge and practical skills and that I will be able to control the sky above Split. Learning on a simulator designed by fellow controllers from all over Croatia is a high standard of education conducted in Europe” – said Ante Olujic, a new air traffic controller who successfully completed the entire training in Croatia in just over 15 months.
The training of 9 additional candidates for tower air traffic controllers will soon begin at the new tower simulator in Split, and given the high quality of education, CROCONTROL expects high pass rates as for the previous generation.
In addition to tower air traffic controllers, after the establishment of a comprehensive national training system, CROCONTROL also trains en-route air traffic controllers. The training of the first group of approach air traffic controllers for the needs of CROCONTROL is expected to begin in November. In addition to the existing modern simulator for training area and approach controllers, with the implementation of a tower simulator that was fully developed by experts from HKZP, the infrastructure requirements for the training of air traffic controllers are fully met.
“This is a historic moment because after a decade of training controllers across Europe, we have finally shown that in Croatia we have the knowledge and technology and capacity to train our own air traffic controllers. We have a significant interest in training controllers from countries in the region in Croatia and we will soon show not only that we can train our own controllers, but that we can provide and charge for this valuable service to neighboring countries. “ – said Vlado Bagaric, director of CROCONTROL.
In addition to investing in the establishment of a comprehensive national training system for air traffic controllers, CROCONTROL invested a total of over HRK 117 million in 2020 and in the first half of this year in upgrading various systems and modernizing equipment. Responsible bussines model have ensured stability and a high level of investment despite the COVID-19 pandemic and a significant decline in air traffic, and thus the revenue of CROCONTROL.
