EASA and EUROCONTROL prepare authorities for new air traffic controller training rules from 2029

Following the joint workshop in Luxembourg, the two organizations are calling for coordination on course approval and oversight of competency-based training. The rules were adopted in 2025 and corrected in 2026. An introductory online course for inspectors is planned, but its launch has not been announced.

EASA and EUROCONTROL are preparing national authorities for the application, from 1 January 2029, of the main European requirements for competency-based training and assessment of air traffic controllers based on demonstrated competencies. Following a workshop held in Luxembourg on 27–28 October, the two organizations announced support for coordinating course approvals, dialogue between supervisors and inspector training.

In brief
The EASA–EUROCONTROL workshop on 27–28 October is preparing oversight of the reform without adopting new rules.

The main competency-based training requirements apply from 1 January 2029; certain provisions apply from May 2026.

Training organizations and authorities must coordinate course approvals and performance-assessment criteria.

Some courses started before 2029 may be recognized if training and assessment are completed by 30 June 2029.

An introductory online course for inspectors is planned; technical dialogue and the use of training data will continue.

The new element in the announcement published by EASA on 30 October concerns how the reform will be applied. The rules were adopted by the European Commission in October 2025, through an amendment to the framework for controller licences and certificates. The workshop did not adopt a new regulation, nor did it make all requirements immediately mandatory.

The competency-based approach focuses on what a controller can demonstrate under conditions relevant to their work. Knowledge, skills and attitudes must be used together in observable behaviours, while assessment is supported by evidence of performance. Completing a training programme and demonstrating the required level remain linked to explicit criteria.

For training organizations, this means programmes that link training activities to the competencies being assessed and to how they are evaluated. For authorities, the challenge is to review and approve these programmes with sufficient resources and a timetable known well in advance. Participants called for early exchanges between training organizations and competent authorities.

EASA stressed that methodological flexibility may allow more efficient training. However, programmes updated before the transition must comply with the applicable requirements until the end of 2028. Voluntary adoption of some new elements does not remove the rules in force at that time.

The general date of application is 1 January 2029, with exceptions. Certain provisions concerning virtual training, instructor staff and authorization or oversight responsibilities apply from 13 May 2026. A correction adopted in September 2026 aligned the timetable for certain authority tasks with the rules they must implement. Therefore, the entire package cannot be described as postponed until 2029.

Transitional provisions allow certain courses started before 1 January 2029 to be recognized if training and assessment are completed by 30 June 2029. This is a rule for the courses concerned, not a general six-month postponement of the reform.

EASA and EUROCONTROL said they were ready to develop an introductory online course on the principles of the new methodology for inspectors and other participants. Technical discussions will continue over the next two years, as will the EASA Data4Training initiative, which aims to use training data to improve courses. The development of a specific course for inspectors and other tools is also being considered.

The two organizations want to integrate the workshop’s conclusions into European activities concerning the air traffic control workforce. The intended result is a coherent application of standards capable of supporting safe and resilient services amid growing traffic demand. The effects on training duration or the number of available controllers will depend on implementation.

https://2eu.brussels/ro/news/easa-si-eurocontrol-pregatesc-autoritatile-pentru-noile-reguli-de-formare-a-controlorilor-aerieni-din-2029