Paid training programme (AirNav Ireland) · Aviation

Air Traffic Controller

Air traffic controllers keep planes safely apart in the air and on the ground, guiding take-offs, landings and flights through Irish airspace. AirNav Ireland trains you from scratch and pays you while you learn. It suits calm, focused people who are good at maths, quick decisions and juggling several things at once.

How it works: This isn't a national apprenticeship on apprenticeship.ie. It's AirNav Ireland's paid Student Controller Programme, but it works like an apprenticeship: you're paid while you train and offered a job at the end. You don't apply through the CAO.

Key facts

How long
About 16–20 months of training
Award
Air traffic controller licence (ICAO rating), then a job offer as an Air Traffic Control Officer
Where you train
  • AirNav Ireland Training Centre, Ballycasey, Shannon, Co. Clare (the first 6 weeks are online)
  • Then practical training at Dublin, Shannon or Cork airport (AirNav decides which)
Pay
€515 a week while training, then €43,026 a year (pro rata) during on-the-job training at the airport
Costs
No fees. If you take a controller job and leave within 4 years you repay training costs, and if you turn down the job offer after training you repay €85,000. You owe nothing if AirNav ends your training, AirNav doesn't offer you a job, or you end the contract before getting a rating.

Entry requirements

  • At least 19 when you apply (you must be 21 to hold a licence); the upper age limit is 35 (under review)
  • Leaving Cert with 5 passes including Maths, with H5 or better in at least 2 Higher Level papers (or a comparable NFQ Level 5 award with maths-based subjects)
  • Pass a Class 3 aviation medical: normal colour vision and set standards for eyesight and hearing
  • Security clearance and reference checks
  • Eligible to live and work in the EU

How to apply

Apply online to AirNav Ireland at any time. Applications are reviewed in batches (up to two selection rounds a year): screening, computer-based aptitude tests (maths, memory, multi-tasking, spatial skills), an online interview, an assessment centre with simulator exercises in Shannon, and sometimes a final interview. You can apply twice.

Apply to AirNav Ireland ↗ Selection process ↗ Medical requirements ↗ Official page on airnav.ie ↗

What you'll learn

  • Air traffic control rules and procedures
  • Using radar and radio to guide aircraft
  • Simulator training at the Shannon training centre
  • Live on-the-job training in an airport control tower or centre

Where it can lead

  • Air Traffic Control Officer at Dublin, Shannon or Cork
  • Pay rises on an incremental salary scale once qualified

Useful Leaving Cert subjects

Applied Mathematics, Physics, Geography

These help with the content of the programme; they are not entry requirements unless listed above.

Tertiary degrees in Personal Services

Not sure which route suits you?

Our CAO Interest Test matches you to course areas, and now shows apprenticeships and tertiary degrees in your strongest areas too.

Take the CAO Interest Test → Try the free 3-minute test

Information from airnav.ie, checked November 2026. Details can change, so always confirm on the official page before applying.