IT IS FEARED the Irish Air Corps could face having to shut down its flight operations at night because it is losing air traffic controllers to high paid civilian jobs, The Journal has learned.

Air traffic control for the Air Corps is managed from Casement Aerodrome at Baldonnel in southwest Co Dublin.

The base has its own air traffic controllers who manage the airspace around the airfield, which can include night operations by military helicopters, Garda aircraft and fixed wing Defence Forces aircraft such as those used to monitor maritime activities off the coast. 

The jobs are staffed by trained military members, and the air traffic control personnel is made up of both commissioned and non-commissioned officers. 

According to multiple sources we spoke to, air traffic control tower personnel are leaving their State jobs for jobs elsewhere, where they can take up roles that have a starting wage of €80,000.

Specialist military personnel have left for jobs at companies such as Aer Lingus and at AirNav Ireland, which employs over 200 controllers at Dublin, Shannon and Cork airports.  

A senior source in the Irish Air Corps also noted the growth of Weston Airport near Leixlip, on the border of Dublin and Kildare, where there has been extensive recruitment efforts to bring in experienced personnel from the Irish military.

“The Defence Forces don’t take direct entry from the civilian world to fill gaps as they arise,” the source said. 

“If someone with a key skill, like an air traffic controller leaves, we have to employ from within to fill that gap.

“So we have to take people in and start them from stage one of their military training and then start the process of getting them qualified to ATC level – that can take up to five years to achieve.” 

Compounding the issue, sources said, is the fact that it’s usually more experienced controllers who carry out the on-the-job training in Baldonnel of newly qualified members. 

Sources have said that a delay in offering the non-commissioned ranks promotions to become officers was key to them leaving. 

“It would have stopped them leaving – but it just didn’t happen in time,” one source said. 

Cathal Berry, a former TD and army officer, said that the issue had been flagged a number of years ago but the Government failed to act to implement incentives to retain the specialists.

“This is the perfect example of a single point of failure – this has the potential to cause the entire operation to end.

“It has been bubbling under surface for a long time but it is a real pity we don’t get ahead – they could have been a small stitch years ago to solve it but now there has to be a mad scramble.

“They are going to a job that is less secure and they do not get the same job satisfaction but there are push factors sending them to the private sector.

“A report was written a number of years ago highlighting this crisis and the recommendations were never implemented,” the former TD said. 

Berry explained that the Officer Commanding the Air Corps is not given the autonomy to fix the problem. 

“He has no budget control to fix this – there is no CEO in the world that does not have the power to allocate resources – this is at the political level and no action has beentaken.

“The consequences are very severe for national security, maritime patrol and even in the case of the emergency transfer of organs. There needs a ministerial intervention – officials don’t have directions to act and the military have no powers,” he added.

The Garda Air Support Unit (GASU) is also based at Baldonnel, in addition to military operations. The unit includes helicopters, and the force is also due to take delivery of a new fixed-wing surveillance aircraft. 

There’s concern among sources we spoke to that An Garda Síochána may leave Baldonnel due to the air traffic control issue. 

Statements have been requested from the Department of Defence and the Irish Defence Forces.