From Australia and Canada to South Africa, aviation authorities are seeking qualified controllers from other countries as the industry struggles to replace retiring workers and train new personnel quickly enough to meet rising demand.
A 2025 forecast by aviation training firm CAE estimated that the global aviation industry would require about 71,000 additional air traffic controllers by 2034, highlighting the scale of the workforce challenge facing the sector.
The situation has created a competitive recruitment environment in which countries are attempting to address their staffing gaps while losing experienced personnel to employers offering better salaries, working conditions and retirement arrangements.
Although international recruitment provides temporary relief, aviation officials warn that moving experienced workers from one country to another does little to resolve the underlying global shortage. Training new controllers also remains a lengthy process that requires considerable investment and specialised expertise.
Australia, the United States and Canada are among countries where shortages of air traffic controllers have contributed to flight disruptions, raising questions about the industry's ability to maintain efficient and safe air travel.
Controllers and union representatives who spoke to Reuters identified better remuneration, improved working conditions and opportunities to remain employed beyond retirement age as some of the major reasons experienced personnel were seeking jobs abroad.
In Australia, some controllers employed by Airservices Australia are reportedly considering opportunities in Qatar, which has recently advertised vacancies for the specialised positions.
Two people familiar with the development said some Australian controllers had been moving to Qatar in search of better employment conditions.
Confirming the growing trend, Scott Nugent, president of the union Civil Air Australia, said several experienced personnel had either resigned or were considering leaving the country.
"We are aware of dozens of ATCs (air traffic controllers) across multiple locations in Australia, including some in Sydney, who have either resigned from Airservices to work overseas, or are exploring the opportunity to do so," Nugent said.
One of the sources attributed the departures largely to dissatisfaction with working conditions, particularly fatigue management, leave arrangements, overtime and staffing levels.
However, Airservices Australia maintained that its national attrition rate among air traffic controllers remained within expectations. Qatar's civil aviation authority did not respond to requests for comments.
Canada is also exploring international recruitment despite its usual policy of employing only citizens or permanent residents as air traffic controllers.
The country's air navigation service provider, NAV CANADA, disclosed that it had engaged an external recruitment firm to help attract eight foreign controllers willing to relocate to Canada.
The organisation described the initiative as "a limited, targeted measure", reflecting the urgency of addressing staffing shortages while maintaining its existing recruitment structure.
Countries seek to prevent further shortages
Meanwhile, South Africa is taking steps to ensure that its recruitment efforts do not worsen staffing challenges in other countries.
The country's Air Traffic and Navigation Services agency introduced limits on the number of personnel it recruits from individual countries after losing 28 controllers within eight months between 2024 and 2025.
Josia Manyakoana, chief operating officer of Air Traffic and Navigation Services, said the agency was conscious of the impact aggressive international recruitment could have on other aviation authorities.
"We don't want to do that to any one specific country," Manyakoana said.
New Zealand's air navigation agency has also called for greater cooperation among aviation service providers, arguing that countries should work together to address the workforce challenge rather than transfer existing shortages across borders.
The Civil Air Navigation Services Organisation (CANSO), a global industry association representing air traffic control providers, is considering ways to distribute training expenses between the organisations that train controllers and those that subsequently recruit them.
The proposal is aimed at addressing concerns that countries and aviation agencies invest heavily in training personnel only for other employers to benefit from their experience.
A CANSO spokesperson said: "The (country) that trains a controller usually carries the full cost, even if that controller later moves on."
"We're aware that several of our members have been concerned about losing controllers they trained at their own expense."
Indonesia offers additional personnel to Australia
While some countries are struggling to retain experienced controllers, others are exploring opportunities to make their surplus workforce available internationally.
Indonesia, which currently has more air traffic controllers than it requires, has agreed to deploy five personnel to Australia next year under an arrangement that will allow them to work there until 2030.
Setio Anggoro, director of operations at AirNav Indonesia, said the country was prepared to support Australia's efforts to address its staffing gaps.
"Australia needs more controllers and we have a surplus at the moment," Anggoro said.
"We are ready to export our controllers."
Despite the growing reliance on international recruitment, aviation industry representatives maintain that the long-term solution lies in expanding training programmes, improving working conditions and retaining experienced personnel.
Nick von Schoenberg, president of the Canadian Air Traffic Control Association, said his union was generally reluctant to support foreign recruitment as a response to longstanding staffing problems.
However, he acknowledged the seriousness of the current situation and said the union would not oppose NAV CANADA's decision to recruit internationally.
"Given the severity of the current circumstances we are not going to get in the way of this," he said.
The developments underscore the growing pressure on aviation authorities to strengthen their workforce as global air travel demand increases, with industry stakeholders warning that recruitment alone will not resolve the shortage without sustained investment in training and staff retention.