PANSA ATS Training Center is a training organization certified by the Civil Aviation Authority and part of the Polish Air Navigation Services Agency. Our main task is to maintain the competence of all active air traffic controllers and flight information service officers, as well as to train new candidates.
What matters in the training is how you react in situations requiring concentration, calmness and logical thinking. Education and professional background are irrelevant. This is a place for anyone who possesses the right set of abilities and wants to find out whether this is the right path for them. There is only one way to find out – by taking up the challenge and starting the training.
The training process is overseen by a specialist team comprising lecturers, instructors, sim operators, technical specialists, planning specialists and the compliance department, which ensures adherence to national and European regulations.
Training to obtain an air traffic controller license or a flight information service officer certificate is divided into two main stages: initial training and unit-based training.
Induction training consists of two parts.
Upon successful completion of basic training, candidates on the air traffic controller course are assigned to service branches (TWR, APP or ACC) based on their performance to date and aptitude. Participants on the FIS information service course continue their training.
Depending on the aerodrome, air traffic controllers working in the control tower are responsible either for traffic at the aerodrome and in its immediate vicinity, or for traffic both at the aerodrome and within the aerodrome’s terminal control area, which may extend up to approximately 4 km and cover a radius of several dozen kilometers. They decide which aircraft may take off, land and which taxi routes they should follow. They also ensure that aircraft in the vicinity of the aerodrome operate safely. The work involves coordination with airport services and airlines. Multitasking within the TWR is the key to success.
Approach controllers manage arriving and departing aircraft within the Terminal Control Area (TMA). They are responsible for sequencing traffic, providing radar or procedural separation and issuing clearances for arrivals and departures. Their tasks include vectoring aircraft onto final approach, coordinating missed approaches and departures and ensuring the safe integration of multiple traffic flows. They work in continuous coordination with Aerodrome Control (TWR) and Area Control (ACC). The operational environment is highly dynamic, requiring rapid decision-making, precise planning and strong situational awareness.
Area controllers are responsible for managing en-route traffic at higher flight levels and coordinating aircraft flying between airports and neighboring FIRs. Their duties include providing radar or procedural separation, sequencing traffic during climb, cruise and descent, issuing clearances and coordinating with Approach Control (APP) and adjacent ACC sectors. A single sector may handle even up to twenty aircraft at the same time. Success in this environment depends on maintaining situational awareness and planning several minutes ahead to ensure the safe, orderly and efficient flow of en-route air traffic.
Flight Information Service officers support pilots flying in uncontrolled airspace, typically below approximately 3,000 meters and outside aerodromes, by providing information on weather conditions, traffic activity and potential hazards. Their role is to enhance situational awareness for aircraft operating under VFR, and in Poland the FIS also includes a radar-supported service (RIS), which allows officers to provide traffic information based on surveillance data.
After completing basic training and being assigned to specific units, candidates proceed to rating training that prepares them for the operational duties required in their designated roles:
Once a candidate has obtained a Student Air Traffic Controller License (S-ATCL) or an FIS certificate, they are assigned to a specific operational unit, where they begin their unit training. This phase of training is conducted in the live operational environment and consists of two stages:
Induction training lasts approximately two weeks and includes familiarization with the unit’s operating procedures, coordination agreements with other authorities and services, the local operational layout, procedures and the equipment used at the workstation. This stage concludes with a knowledge test, which must be passed before the trainee may progress to training in live traffic conditions.
Practical training consists of working in an operational role under the supervision of an instructor. The training is divided into stages of increasing complexity, each with a defined minimum number of hours and permissible extensions. The trainees’ progress is continuously assessed and documented in their training records.
The training concludes with an examination and assessment at the operational position, followed by an additional simulator assessment covering abnormal and emergency situations. Upon successfully completing the practical training, the ATS Personnel Training Centre issues a certificate of completion, enabling the candidate to obtain an air traffic controller license from the Civil Aviation Authority. Once the license is issued, candidates become qualified air traffic controllers and may work independently at the operational position, taking full responsibility for the safety of tens of thousands of passengers.
If you are wondering whether this is the right career path for you, the first step is to take part in the Polish Air Navigation Services Agency’s recruitment process. During the selection procedure, you will go through a series of interesting and unique stages.
One of these is the international FEAST test (First European Air Traffic Controller Selection Test), a modern, computer‑based assessment developed by EUROCONTROL for candidates applying for ATS training. The test does not require any aviation knowledge — instead, it evaluates natural aptitudes essential in the operational environment, such as concentration, processing speed, working memory, spatial reasoning and decision‑making under time pressure. The tasks are dynamic and show how well you cope with multiple simultaneous stimuli and the ability to prioritise. If you think this test is only for exceptionally gifted individuals, you are mistaken. New air traffic controllers at the Polish Air Navigation Services Agency come from a wide range of backgrounds — from recent secondary school graduates to engineers, musicians, doctors, pilots, chefs, tram drivers and mechanics. Most of them never imagined this profession could be for them — and perhaps you do not know it yet either!
Before taking the test, make sure you are well‑rested so that you can maintain a steady pace throughout. It is also worth familiarising yourself in advance with the types of tasks available on the official FEAST preparation platform, so that during the selection process you can focus entirely on completing the tasks rather than learning the rules. FEAST helps to quickly and fairly identify your natural aptitudes. If you enjoy challenges and real‑life action, getting to know the test may be your first step towards a career in air traffic services.
Every year, many candidates with different backgrounds take part in our induction training. What they all share is curiosity, a willingness to learn and a desire to take responsibility for ensuring the safe, orderly and efficient flow of air traffic. It is precisely this — the real impact on safety and traffic efficiency — that lies at the heart of all our training programmes.
You can find the formal requirements and details of the recruitment process in the latest announcements published by the Polish Air Navigation Services Agency.
