On Friday, February 23, the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) welcomed a total of 66 new graduates of the Comprehensive Air Traffic Service (CATS) Course during its commencement exercises held at the Civil Aviation Training Center (CATC) in Merville Access Road, Pasay, Metro Manila.

From the 101 initial trainees who began in May 2023, only 66 successfully completed the course, consisting of 41 male and 25 female graduates. Among them, 32 are from the National Capital Region (NCR), 3 from Luzon, 10 from Visayas, and 21 from Mindanao.

“As you have positioned your dreams, it is now time for the final approach. This is where you ensure the safe travel of passengers to their destinations,” Director General Captain Manuel Antonio L. Tamayo said in his keynote message for the graduates.

The Comprehensive Air Traffic Service (CATS) Course is an annual program launched by CAAP in response to the increasing demand for air traffic controllers in the country’s airports.

The course is implemented in accordance with the International Civil Aviation Organization’s (ICAO) New Generation of Aviation Professionals (NGAP) initiative, which aims to address the global shortage of aviation professionals and to ensure the sustainable growth of the aviation industry. It provides extensive training for aspiring air traffic controllers and is designed to equip them with the necessary skills and knowledge to handle the demanding job of managing air traffic.

Congratulations, CATS Batch 16 “Masidtanglaw!”