AirNav Ireland, the new air traffic management service provider for Irish airspace, was launched on World Air Traffic Control Day.
They provide air traffic control services at Dublin, Cork, and Shannon airports, covering 455,000 square kilometres of airspace.
The North Atlantic Enroute Centre in Shannon handles over 90pc of all aircraft flying between North America and Europe.
They have a North Atlantic Communications Centre in Ballygirreen, Co. Clare, providing long-range HF radio communications for air traffic control in the eastern half of the North Atlantic.
Minister of State Chambers highlighted the importance of AirNav Ireland in supporting global connectivity and futureproofing aviation regulation in Ireland.
AirNav Ireland is committed to investing in training new air traffic control officers and plans to train 240 candidates over the next ten years. They also aim to create employment opportunities in engineering from 2024.
The company manages the safe passage of over a million flights in Irish airspace and focuses on safety, efficiency, and service through continued investment in people and technology.
AirNav Ireland is a stand-alone entity from the IAA and is a commercial semi-state company with 630 employees across six locations in Ireland.
They do not receive State funding and generate revenue through charges and fees from airline customers.
The launch coincides with the 101st anniversary of the first internationally agreed air traffic control rules, drafted in 1919 by the Commission Internationale de Navigation Aérienne (CINA) and ratified by 10 countries in 1922.
