Controlling the skies.... Ryan's dream job takes off!

Young Ratoath man Ryan Barker is one of eight cadets who have graduated as an Air Traffic Control Officer at a special AirNav Ireland ceremony in Limerick.

The 23-year old completed intensive instruction to handle complex airspace scenarios, manage air traffic flow and ensure the seamless and safe movement of flights, to finally achieve his dream job.

Ryan recalled that his parents used to bring him over to watch planes at Dubin Airport as a child, as they would have themselves been when younger too.

"So it was from that that I got a love for it and decided that I wanted to work in aviation," he explains.

He was to young to enrol after leaving Ratoath College, so went on to third-level for a few years before he became of age.

Joining in August 2022, he had just over a year of training, initially in theory and basic control, moving on to complete 200 hours of practical work and three months on placement. An assessment followed, before he could be given his licence to work unsupervised. The air traffic controllers work in pairs, responsible for the safe, orderly and expeditious movement of air traffic on and in the vicinity of airports and in the airspace for which Ireland is responsible.

"I'll be based in Shannon, responsible for routes crossing the Atlantic and heading to the Canaries," Ryan explains.

Eighteen students who completed their training in air traffic control, engineering, and radio operations, have now graduated to join AirNav Ireland, the Irish Air Navigation Service Provider. Eight students graduated as air traffic control officers, five as radio officers and five as safety engineers.

AirNav Ireland provides air traffic management services in almost 500,000 square kilometres of Irish airspace comprising. It also manages the safety of all flights arriving and departing to and from Dublin, Cork and Shannon airports. Dr Peter Kearney, CEO of AirNav Ireland, said that they remain steadfast in its mission to continually invest in the development of its personnel, reinforcing its position as a leader in aviation safety and air traffic management.

“Today’s graduation is part of our strategic plan to invest in the best people to manage Irish aviation safety. We plan to train 240 suitable air traffic control candidates over the next decade while continuing our engineering programme to ensure the continued safe operation of critical infrastructure including our communications, navigation and surveillance systems."

Jack Chambers, Minister for State at the Department of Transport, wished the graduates well in their careers in aviation.