Nine trainee air traffic controllers are learning to coordinate aircraft movements using a computer simulator at Doncaster Sheffield Airport (DSA) ahead of the site's planned reopening to passengers.
At least 20 people have been recruited into air traffic control and air traffic services roles at DSA. The trainees are taking part in practical and theoretical training towards their tower and radar qualifications.
How the simulator works
The simulator accurately reflects the real environment at DSA. Andy Hudson, the airport's head of air traffic services, explained that instructors can control where aircraft are positioned and what they are doing, allowing them to create exercises that match live conditions.
Air Traffic Services Assistants sit in an adjacent room and control virtual planes that appear in the simulator. Sam Johnson, one of these assistants, said the role was vital for preparing student controllers.
"We've got no real traffic to work with, so there's no way they can validate," Johnson said. "So the simulator keeps their skills sharp and it allows them to train."
Experience in the field
Liam Watts is among those training at DSA. He spent 14 years in the Royal Navy as a military air traffic controller and said many civil aviation skills are similar to those used in the military.
"It's a constantly changing puzzle that you have to fix constantly. You need to keep calm," Watts said. "The more you train using equipment like this, the more familiar you get with scenarios, with traffic levels, phraseology and the rules."
Airport's path to reopening
DSA closed in 2022 after its then owners Peel Group declared the site financially unviable. City of Doncaster Council has since formed an arm's-length company, supported by the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority, to reopen it.
According to DSA operator Fly Doncaster, passenger flights are expected to resume at Easter in 2028, with freight flights anticipated sooner.