Responsible manager of the airspace

Elia Borrego Arnau was born in Spain. Friends drew her attention to the role that would later become her career. Because air traffic controllers in her home country are required to have a university degree, she began studying aeronautical engineering, but she did not enjoy the course. She decided instead to apply to the Skyguide Academy: “Here the profession is open to people with a federal vocational diploma, which I think is great. A lot of the people who were on my course had work experience, which gave them a certain level of maturity. This was enormously helpful to them on the training course, which can be stressful and demanding.” And Elia Borrego Arnau can reassure anyone who thinks that you need to be an aviation freak before you start the course: “The important thing is to enjoy teamwork and a dynamic, international environment. You also need skills such as a sense of responsibility and the ability to multitask and think logically.”

An attractive salary during the training course

The future air traffic controllers spend the first year of their training at Wangen near Dübendorf. During this time, Elia Borrego Arnau lived in a shared apartment in Zurich with another trainee. “The salary that you receive from the start of the training course was plenty for me to live on.” After this introductory year, the budding air traffic controllers or ATCOs continue their training at their future workplace. For Elia Borrego Arnau this was Lugano airport. The course included simulator and on-the-job training in the tower and approach control: “This is where taxiing, take-offs and landings are organised and the incoming and outgoing flights are monitored within an area of about 50 kilometres around the airport.” After a total of five years in the Swiss canton of Ticino, Elia Borrego Arnau, who is ambitious and has good language skills, moved to a new role in French-speaking Switzerland.

24 hours a day and 365 days a year

The work of an air traffic controller is governed by a wide variety of processes and regulations that have to be complied with. Nevertheless, Elia Borrego Arnau has a feeling of autonomy in her role: “I am responsible for my sector and I work independently. I really enjoy that! I also like sharing information with the other members of my team and with colleagues in neighbouring sectors.”

Shift work has its advantages

She struggled at first with the shift work: “I had to organise everything really carefully so that I still had a social life. Now I appreciate the fact that I can do things at times when there aren’t many people about.” Elia Borrego Arnau loves sailing and she has plenty of opportunities to enjoy spending time on the water. She adds with a laugh: “But the best of thing of all is that when I’m not at work, I’m really free! When the shift is over, the work is automatically finished.”

Elia Borrego Arnau’s career