29 New Air Traffic Controllers Graduate

The Dominican Institute of Civil Aviation (IDAC in Spanish), through the Superior Academy of Aeronautical Science (ASCA), graduated its first class of 29 students after having completed their 9-month basic course in Aerodrome 2008 Control.

Mr. Pérez explained that the main goal of integrating the graduates into the aeronautics family is that their participation strengthens the wages of controllers at the country’s airports…

The graduates underwent intensive training, theoretical and practical, in the areas of ATS Data Messaging, Air Transit Service, Aeronautic Regulation, Accident Investigation, Basic Aeronautics, Aeronautic Meteorology and Air Regulation. Some students were immediately integrated into air traffic work upon the suggestion of IDAC Director and state Minister José Tomás Pérez.

“Effective immediately, they are beginning work as air traffic controllers of the Dominican Institute of Civil Aviation. In this second phase of training they will receive a salary in accordance with their knowledge in that they are in the practice phase of their training,” announced José Tomás Pérez

Mr. Pérez explained that the main goal of integrating the graduates into the aeronautics family is that their participation strengthens the wages of controllers at the country’s airports as well as guaranteeing better working conditions for the air traffic controllers, especially in the effort to keep their work shifts from being too long.

Pérez stressed the importance of this profession, taking into account that there are some 170,000 air operations per year in the Dominican Republic. He noted that the involvement of new controllers strengthens this family of workers.

He pointed out that there are added benefits of this move, to become official with in August of this year. He explained that ASCA “is going to install a radar simulation center in this new building, a flight school for young people with limited means who can come here and become pilots. A series of courses are being set up.”

In addition to the Director General of IDAC, several other officials attended the graduation, including IDAC Deputy Director General Santiago Rosa Martínez; Bolívar de León and Iván Vásquez Reyes, Directors of Air Navigation and Flight Norms; ASCA Director José Antonio Gil Morales; Director of Operational Security Vigilance, Johann Estrada and President of the Dominican Association of Air Controllers, Félix Antonio Rosa.

The three student with the highest marks in the graduating class were Juan Ramírez Peña, Mario Yelénkovich and Davi Espino Cedano, who received their diplomas along with cash prizes of 20,15 and 10 thousand pesos, respectively.

IDAC Director and state Minister José Tomás Pérez gives the number student in the graduating class, Juan Ramírez Peña, his certificate.