Our working environment.

German airspace is one of the busiest in the world with more than 9,000 flights a day. Around 2,000 air traffic controllers work at DFS to ensure that all travellers reach their destination safely and on time. They carry out their jobs from the 16 designated international airports and from our four control centres. They can call on our team of technical staff, engineers and IT experts who ensure that things run as smoothly as they should.

Expertise in demand around the world.

Our experience and expertise are in demand internationally. Currently, we are active in 20 countries, including India, China and Brazil as well as in the Gulf States. We market our core activities of air traffic control and air traffic management in addition to a range of services covering simulations, training courses and consultancy worldwide. This wide-ranging portfolio also encompasses aeronautical publications.

An inside view of our world.

Around 2,000 air traffic controllers – at 16 international airports and 4 control centres

Present at all levels – control centre and tower.

The airspace over Germany is divided into flight information regions, which in turn are assigned to specific control centres. Our air traffic controllers provide area and approach control services from these centres. Depending on type of airspace, they control every pilot that navigates using instrument flight rules or visual flight rules.

The air traffic controllers in the control towers, on the other hand, control traffic in the direct vicinity of airports. They maintain visual contact with the aircraft but can fall back on ground radar in cases when visibility is poor. Tower controllers organise the smooth flow of traffic at airports, issuing clearances to ensure that departing and arriving aircraft keep clear of each other.