BusinessLive reports that Air Traffic and Navigation Services (ATNS) is struggling to fill critical positions, particularly air traffic controllers (ATCs).

The outflow of experienced personnel outpacing the capacity of the entity’s training pipeline was “regrettably almost compromising service delivery,” the company has said in a frank admission. ATCs are the backbone of air safety worldwide, playing an indispensable role in preventing collisions by managing the flow of aircraft on the ground and in the air. During the 2024/25 reporting period, 86 employees left ATNS, with more than half of these from its air traffic services division.

In its 2025 annual report, the state-owned ATNS said the exodus of skilled people from its ranks was worsened by international peers poaching its staff. In response, ATNS, which has the sole responsibility of ensuring air safety in SA, has launched a project to lure back lost skills in a process that might see it review its pay. “International providers offer remuneration and other incentives that ATNS cannot match. Following recommendations from the Ministerial Intervention Team, ATNS launched an accelerated recruitment drive for vital roles, including air traffic service personnel, flight procedure designers, and engineers,” ATNS advised. This drive also involves encouraging previous ATNS employees to return to SA to bridge the current expertise gap within an 18-month to three-year timeframe. The company has also revised its recruitment policy to allow for headhunting and has implemented open-ended advertising for top roles.

Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Kabelo Khumalo at BusinessLive (subscriber access only)

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