Air traffic controllers in full flight from EA airports' poor salaries

Three years are the minimum one needs to reach the level of deployment while theexperts’ level takes up to eight years.

To enroll, one must have a prior degree in mathematics, science, geography or physics. This further minimises the number of candidates.

The internationally recommended growth in air controllers is 30 to 40 per cent a year. The senior controllers said it was hard to rate the growth because as some join, others retire, are poached or drop out.

From time to time, medical check-ups have led to the exit of some controllers, further reducing their numbers.

“For those below 40, checkups are done once in two years, while for those above 40, the check-ups are increased to once a year, said Mr Wagura.

The resolutions drafted will be passed after all member country secretariats agree on their implementation.

The controllers also require adequate infrastructure for training at the East African School of Aviation in Kenya that serves Eastern and Central Africa.

The Kenya Civil Aviation Authority director general, Hilary Kioko, said although the issue was not at crisis levels, the number of controllers in Kenya would be raised to 200 by 2011.

The authority said it had developed a new curriculum for training and had invested in a new flight simulator to facilitate the training and address the shortage issue.