Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to increase the number of air traffic controllers.

The recruitment of air traffic controllers is a commercial matter for the private businesses that operate air traffic control services.

However, the Department is working with industry and other Government Departments, as part of the Generation Aviation programme, to support medium and long term recruitment.

This work includes the promotion of air traffic controller careers, and co-operation with industry and the Department for Education to review current apprenticeship standards so as to encourage greater uptake.