Poland's PAŻP to Launch New Recruitment Drive for Air Traffic Controllers in March 2026

The Polish Air Navigation Services Agency is set to launch a new recruitment drive for air traffic controller candidates, opening a path to a profession that requires nearly two years of intensive preparation before a candidate can begin independent work. The agency is the only institution in Poland that both trains and employs air traffic controllers, making it solely responsible for the safety of Polish airspace. The recruitment process will be multi-stage, incorporating psychological tests and simulator assessments designed to identify candidates with the right profile. The announcement was made on March 14, 2026, with all source materials framing the drive as an upcoming initiative.

Formal entry requirements will set a high bar for applicants. Candidates must hold at least a secondary education credential and demonstrate a strong command of English at a minimum B2 level in both spoken and written form, alongside fluent Polish. Beyond formal qualifications, applicants will need to demonstrate specific personal predispositions, including impeccable diction, well-developed spatial imagination, and a proven capacity to perform under high stress. According to web search results, a previous recruitment cohort consisted of 11 women and 42 men with an average age of 24, drawn from backgrounds including aviation studies and information technology.

Air traffic control is a safety-critical profession governed by international standards set by the International Civil Aviation Organization and implemented across European airspace through coordinated national agencies. PAŻP was established on April 1, 2007, as a state entity subordinate to the minister responsible for transport. The agency manages all civil air traffic within Polish airspace and operates around the clock. The profession requires a license, and in Poland only PAŻP is authorized to conduct the training leading to that qualification.

The training process itself will span close to two years and will combine intensive theoretical instruction — covering topics such as airspace management — with practical simulator work. Candidates who pass the initial multi-stage selection, including psychological screening, will then enter a structured curriculum before being assessed for operational readiness. The agency's recruitment drive reflects ongoing demand for qualified personnel in a sector where the pipeline from candidate to licensed controller is long and attrition during training is a recognized challenge. No confirmed information is available on the exact number of positions PAŻP intends to fill in this recruitment round.