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Engineering ServicesISCO 3155

Air traffic safety technician

Air traffic safety technicians provide technical support regarding the safety of air traffic control and navigation systems. They design, maintain, install and operate these systems both in the airport and on board the aeroplane according to regulations.

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Check yourself in a minute: air traffic safety technician

Rate 5 of the 24 essential skills of this occupation (European ESCO data). No account needed.

install electrical and electronic equipment

use technical drawing software

carry out preventive airport maintenance

use testing equipment

assist in the conducting of flight checks

About air traffic safety technician

As an air traffic safety technician, you will provide critical technical support for air traffic control and navigation systems that ensure safe aircraft operations. Your responsibilities include designing, installing, maintaining, and operating sophisticated electronic and electrical systems both in airport infrastructure and onboard aircraft according to strict aviation regulations. Your daily work involves conducting preventive maintenance on radar systems, navigation equipment, and communication infrastructure, using specialized testing equipment to identify and resolve technical issues. You will install and maintain complex electrical and electronic equipment while adhering to rigorous safety standards and industry codes of practice. Beyond maintenance, you will assist in conducting flight checks to validate system functionality and collaborate with air traffic control operations to ensure seamless integration of safety systems. This role is essential for aviation safety, requiring technical expertise, attention to detail, and a commitment to the highest standards of safety and reliability that protect lives every day.

Key Work Functions

Core areas of responsibility for a air traffic safety technician.

1

System Installation and Setup

  • Install electrical and electronic equipment for air traffic control systems
  • Set up navigation and radar systems according to technical specifications and safety standards
  • Use technical drawing software to interpret and execute installation plans
2

Maintenance and Preventive Care

  • Carry out preventive airport maintenance to ensure continuous system functionality
  • Maintain electronic and electrical equipment used in air traffic systems
  • Inspect airport electrical systems and aircraft navigation equipment for safety and compliance
3

Testing and Troubleshooting

  • Use specialized testing equipment to diagnose system malfunctions and performance issues
  • Test radar systems, surveillance equipment, and electronic navigation aids
  • Assist in the conducting of flight checks to validate system accuracy and reliability
4

Safety Implementation and Compliance

  • Implement airside safety procedures and airport safety regulations in all operations
  • Follow air traffic control operations protocols and common aviation safety regulations
  • Implement safety management systems and comply with air transport law requirements
  • Follow industry codes of practice for aviation safety and technical standards
5

Collaboration and System Integration

  • Collaborate with air traffic control operations to ensure system compatibility and integration
  • Coordinate with maintenance teams and technical staff on system upgrades and repairs
  • Document technical work and maintain detailed records of installations and maintenance activities

European Skills Framework

Skills and knowledge areas required for this occupation based on European classification.

Essential (24)

safety engineeringsafety engineeringThe study of the risks associated with engineered designs and systems, accident prevention as well as the safety benefits of reducing deaths and injuries. The discipline focuses on analysing and mitig...electrical systems used in transportationelectrical systems used in transportationThe functioning of electrical systems, their specifications, and application in operations and systems for the transportation of freight and people.technical drawingstechnical drawingsDrawing software and the various symbols, perspectives, units of measurement, notation systems, visual styles and page layouts used in technical drawings.airport electrical systemsairport electrical systemsThe different elements that comprise airport electrical systems, such as air navigation equipment, electronic landing aids, radars, and meteorological services, and the function and operation of each ...electronicselectronicsThe functioning of electronic circuit boards, processors, chips, and computer hardware and software, including programming and applications.air transport lawair transport lawThe rules and regulations governing air transport, including international law.airport safety regulationsairport safety regulationsThe applicable airport safety regulations and instructions.common aviation safety regulationscommon aviation safety regulationsThe body of legislation and regulations that apply to the field of civil aviation at regional, national, European and International levels.surveillance radarssurveillance radarsTypes of surveillance radars such as Mode A/C Secondary Surveillance Radar stations, which continuously interrogate all aircraft within their range, and Mode S Secondary Surveillance Radar stations, w...implement airside safety proceduresimplement airside safety proceduresApply a series of airfield safety rules and procedures to ensure a safe working environment for airport crew.install electrical and electronic equipmentinstall electrical and electronic equipmentInstall equipment which is dependent on electric currents or electromagnetic fields in order to work, or equipment to generate, transfer or measure such currents and fields. This equipment includes sw...use technical drawing softwareuse technical drawing softwareCreate technical designs and technical drawings using specialised software.follow airport safety proceduresfollow airport safety proceduresComply with airport safety procedures, policies and legislation to ensure a safe working environment for all employees, and to ensure the safety of passengers.carry out preventive airport maintenancecarry out preventive airport maintenanceCarry out preventive maintenance on airport equipment and facilities in order to maintain safety, regularity, and efficient operation of air traffic.use testing equipmentuse testing equipmentUse equipment to test performance and operation of machinery.assist in the conducting of flight checksassist in the conducting of flight checksAssist pre-flight and in-flight checks in order to detect problems and provide solutions to them, together with the flight captain, the first pilot or the inflight engineer.comply with air traffic control operationscomply with air traffic control operationsAct in compliance with instruction provided by air traffic controllers.implement safety management systemsimplement safety management systemsImplement safety management systems in accordance with the frameworks of the state related to aviation, such as flying aeroplanes and helicopters, design of aeroplanes, and provision of air traffic se...maintain electronic equipmentmaintain electronic equipmentCheck and repair electronic equipment. Develop maintenance tasks on electronic equipment. Detect malfunction, locate faults and take measures to prevent damage.follow industry codes of practice for aviation safetyfollow industry codes of practice for aviation safetyFollows industry codes of practice relating to aviation safety. Follow guidance material to adhere to the requirements of the International Civil Aviation Organization’s Standards (ICAO), other aviati...ensure aircraft compliance with regulationensure aircraft compliance with regulationEnsure that every aircraft complies with applicable regulation and all components and equipment have officially valid components.operate radar equipmentoperate radar equipmentOperate radar screens and other radar equipment. Ensure that aircraft fly at a safe distance from one another.monitor customer safety on apronmonitor customer safety on apronMonitor passenger safety on apron and ramp area during boarding and deplaning; provide assistance to passengers.aircraft flight control systemsaircraft flight control systemsThe setting, features and operation of aircraft flight control systems such as flight control surfaces, cockpit controls, connections, and operating mechanisms required to control the flight direction...
Optional (30) — show
air traffic managementair traffic managementThoroughly understand the major activities in air traffic management, such as air traffic control, air traffic flow management, and aeronautic information services.electrical engineeringelectrical engineeringThe field of engineering that deals with the study and application of electricity, electronics, and electromagnetism.aircraft mechanicsaircraft mechanicsTechnicalities over mechanics in aircrafts and related topics in order to perform a wide range of repais in aircrafts.types of aircrafttypes of aircraftThe various types of aircraft, their functionalities, properties and legal and regulatory requirements.global navigation satellite system performance parametersglobal navigation satellite system performance parametersThe performance parameters for Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS), and the requirements that any GNSS system should possess in specific conditions.air traffic control operationsair traffic control operationsThe procedures for organising air traffic, preventing collisions and ensuring smooth operations during flights, and the tasks performed by air traffic controllers, including Interaction and effective ...design electrical systemsdesign electrical systemsDraft sketches and design electrical systems, products, and components using Computer Aided Design (CAD) software and equipment. Draw panel arrangement layouts, electrical schematics, electrical wirin...conduct safe aircraft marshallingconduct safe aircraft marshallingConduct safe marshalling of aircraft, adhere to apron markings and ensure accurate completion of associated paperwork or database entries.perform necessary checks before moving aircraft onto standperform necessary checks before moving aircraft onto standPerform a series of standard checks before bringing aircraft into a stand. Check service equipment and check for oil/fuel spills. Check activities on adjacent stands, etc.use meteorological informationuse meteorological informationUse and interpret meteorological information for operations dependent on climatic conditions. Use this information to provide advise on safe operations in relation to weather conditions.deal with air traffic issuesdeal with air traffic issuesDeal with issues affecting the airline e.g. air traffic control problems and adverse weather conditions. This may involve rearranging flight slots when delays occur.debug softwaredebug softwareRepair computer code by analysing testing results, locating the defects causing the software to output an incorrect or unexpected result and remove these faults.test circuitrytest circuitryInspect and test signal circuitry, using standard electrical or electronic testing equipment.inspect aircraft for airworthinessinspect aircraft for airworthinessInspect aircraft, aircraft components, and aviation equipment to ensure they conform to design specifications and to airworthiness standards following major repairs or alterations. Approve or deny iss...test electrical equipmenttest electrical equipmentTest electrical systems, machines, and components and check electrical properties, such as voltage, current, resistance, capacitance, and inductance, using electrical testing and measuring equipment, ...undertake navigation safety actionsundertake navigation safety actionsRecognise unsafe situations and perform follow-up actions according to the safety regulations. Immediately warn ship management. Use personal protective and rescue equipment.address aircraft mechanical issuesaddress aircraft mechanical issuesIdentify and resolve mechanical issues which arise during flight. Identify malfunctions in fuel gauges, pressure indicators and other electrical, mechanical or hydraulic components.advise aircraft in hazardous conditionsadvise aircraft in hazardous conditionsRecommend the most effective course of action to assist aircraft in hazardous conditions.operate cockpit control panelsoperate cockpit control panelsOperates control panels in the cockpit or flight deck according to the needs of the flight. Manage on-board electronic systems to ensure a smooth flight.conduct airport safety inspectionsconduct airport safety inspectionsConduct airport inspections to achieve maximum safety; inspect airport facilities, ensure equipment is used and maintained appropriately, and ensure staff members work in the safest possible way.use of air traffic services documentuse of air traffic services documentUtilise Air Traffic Services document to prevent collisions between manoeuvring aircraft; ensure orderly flow of air traffic.implement the airside safety auditing systemimplement the airside safety auditing systemImplement airside safety auditing system for operational departments.install softwareinstall softwareInstall machine-readable instructions, such as computer programs, in order to direct the computer's processor to perform a certain set of actions.assess operating costassess operating costEstimate the operating cost in terms of manpower, consumables and maintenance.design control systemsdesign control systemsDevelop devices that command and manage the behaviour of other devices and systems, using engineering and electronics principles.perform aircraft maintenanceperform aircraft maintenanceCarry out inspection and maintenance on aircraft parts according to the maintenance procedures and documentation, and perform repair work to remedy functional and deterioration problems.manage air navigation servicesmanage air navigation servicesManage air navigation services; oversee financial planning and follow evolutions in aviation technology.ensure safety in international aviationensure safety in international aviationCommunicate with national and international agencies to ensure maximum efficiency and safety in the field of aviation.design electronic systemsdesign electronic systemsDraft sketches and design electronic systems, products, and components using Computer Aided Design (CAD) software and equipment. Make a simulation so that an assessment can be made of the viability of...oversee quality controloversee quality controlMonitor and assure the quality of the provided goods or services by overseeing that all the factors of the production meet quality requirements. Supervise product inspection and testing.

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Frequently asked questions

What does an air traffic safety technician do?

Air traffic safety technicians provide technical support regarding the safety of air traffic control and navigation systems. They design, maintain, install and operate these systems both in the airport and on board the aeroplane according to regulations.

What skills does an air traffic safety technician need?

An air traffic safety technician needs 24 essential skills, including safety engineering, electrical systems used in transportation, technical drawings, airport electrical systems, electronics.

Will AI replace air traffic safety technician jobs?

The AI disruption score for air traffic safety technician is 26/100 (low risk). Skills most exposed to automation: install software, assess operating cost, global navigation satellite system performance parameters. Most resilient: types of aircraft, install electrical and electronic equipment, assist in the conducting of flight checks.

Quick Facts

SectorEngineering Services
ISCO GroupScience and engineering associate professionals
Essential Skills24

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