One of the most important tasks of an air traffic controller is aircraft separation. The separation standards are: a horizontal separation of at least five nautical miles (approx. nine kilometers) laterally and longitudinally; and a vertical separation of at least 1,000 feet (300 meters).
An air traffic controller’s most important aid is the radar screen. It shows a large number of aircraft, some on identical, intersecting or opposing courses, some climbing and some descending.
The so-called “label” gives air traffic controllers all the information they need. An additional safety aid is the “short-term conflict alert” an alarm that is automatically triggered if two aircraft are on collision course.
