In the increasingly complex world of air travel, the work of the air traffic controller is becoming increasingly vital. It is the task of these professionals to ensure the safety of all air passengers and personnel by coordinating the system of aircraft leaving and arriving at the airport. With increasing amounts of aircraft and narrower margins between arrival and departure times, it is becoming increasingly important to carefully coordinate and control air traffic.

             Generally, air traffic controllers serve under the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). This agency is part of the Federal Government. The nature of the job, as mentioned above, is complex and requires precise cooperation of a team. The radar associate controller for example organizes flight plans to ensure that more than one aircraft does not schedule arrival and/or departure times for the same period. When a particular team's airspace is left, responsibility for its flight path and safe arrival is delegated to the following control team. Other elements that need to be taken into account in terms of continued flight safety include weather conditions and other aircraft in the vicinity. Coordination therefore needs to meticulous not only within each control team, but also between different airport teams and the pilots themselves. .

             Being involved in air traffic control requires a particular set of skills in employees. The ability to make quick decisions needs to be complimented with clear thinking and memory skills. Furthermore, air traffic controllers need to be highly skilled in electronic communications equipment, along with the necessary articulate skills to communicate necessary information quickly and clearly to pilots (U.S. Dept. of Labor, 2006).

             The entire system is overseen by the Air Traffic Control Systems Command Center, located in Herndon, VA. Several air traffic controllers work here in coordinating the management of the entire air traffic control system.