International Day of the Air Traffic Controller
October 20 · Level 7 · #680 of 2238
International Day of the Air Traffic Controller recognises the people who help aircraft move safely through the skies and around airports. Controllers coordinate departures, arrivals and traffic along flight routes, doing work that passengers rarely get to see.
How it is celebrated: professional associations and air navigation services congratulate their teams, organise gatherings and share insights into the job. Colleagues exchange experience, and public features explain the concentration and coordination that air traffic control requires.
The date marks the founding of the International Federation of Air Traffic Controllers' Associations on 20 October 1961. An association's anniversary became an occasion to recognise a worldwide profession.