No jobs for Aviation Authority trainees

THE Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) has spent €1.2 million training 22 student air traffic controllers but now has no jobs to offer them.

The students, aged mainly in their 20s, completed their final air traffic control ‘check-outs’ yesterday and instead of celebrating, were told the Authority was not in a position to employ them.

It is the first time in the history of the IAA that it was unable to offer contracts to a class of newly-qualified student controllers.

IAA spokeswoman Lilian Cassin said yesterday that the downturn in aviation since September 11 was partially to blame. However, the IAA showed after-tax profits last year of €5.3m, compared with €4.5m in 2001.

The students began training in October of last year. Training included intensive radar simulation exercises as well as learning how to separate aircraft without using radar. The course also involved extensive bookwork, including a range of subjects such as navigation, communication, knowledge of aerodromes, vectoring and air law.

All 22 would have expected to be assigned to ‘on-the-job’ training, where established controllers provide supervision to newly-qualified

controllers in live situations. However Ms Cassin said they have now been put on extended leave and a final decision on their futures will not be made before September 15. She confirmed there were no job openings for any of the students in the three State airports, Cork, Shannon and Dublin.

One of the students is the son of the IAA’s head of training in Shannon.

Ms Cassin said the students’ contracts had not given a commitment of employment on completion of training, but she admitted that yesterday’s move was unprecedented. She said: “The playing field has changed. Before it was easy to send people overseas to work if there were no positions open to them here, but the requirement doesn’t seem to be there as much any more.” She said, however, that moves were afoot to try and secure some overseas work.

“We are working on trying to get contracts for them. There is a possibility that six of them can get contracts in South Africa. We’ll have a better picture by September 15.”

It is understood that an overstaffing problem has resulted because of failure to implement a voluntary early retirement programme.

Meanwhile, more than 110 catering jobs at Shannon Airport are expected to be lost after Aer Rianta management informed staff it is to shut down the company’s catering operation.

SIPTU spokesman Tony Carroll yesterday condemned the announcement by management, claiming that the shutdown of the airport’s In-Flight Catering Service “is the first casualty of the break-up of Aer Rianta“.

The catering service at Shannon is the only one operated by Aer Rianta at its three Irish-managed airports and management told staff that between this year and 2004, the service is expected to lose just under 1 million.

Aer Rianta chief executive John Burke has agreed to meet with SIPTU officials today where they will make a last-minute bid to reverse the Aer Rianta decision.