For discussion FCR(96-97)58
on 19 July 1996
ITEM FOR FINANCE COMMITTEE
HEAD 28 - CIVIL AVIATION DEPARTMENT
New Capital Account Subhead "Temporary Air Traffic Control Officers"
Members are invited to approve the creation of a new non-recurrent account subhead with a commitment of $88.78 million under Head 28 Civil Aviation Department for hiring 16 temporary air traffic control officers for a fixed term of three years.
We need 16 additional air traffic control officers, with qualifications equivalent to those of Air Traffic Control Officer II (ATCO II), to train up sufficient Air Traffic Control Officer IIIs (ATCO IIIs) for the new airport at Chek Lap Kok and to man working positions whilst the prospective ATCO IIIs are undergoing training.
2. The Director of Civil Aviation (DCA) proposes to hire 16 experienced air traffic controllers with qualifications equivalent to those of ATCO IIs for a fixed term of three years, from mid-1997, at a cost of $88.78 million.
3. The Civil Aviation Department (CAD) is responsible for providing air traffic services at Kai Tak Airport to ensure a safe, efficient and orderly flow of traffic there and within the airspace under its jurisdiction. These services are provided by qualified Air Traffic Control Officers (ATCOs) of various ranks.
4. CAD's policy has always been to train up its own air traffic controllers. To this end, CAD recruits high quality local personnel who meet stringent medical standards as Student ATCOs (SATCOs) and put them through intensive departmental training programmes. It may recruit ATCO IIs directly from overseas on agreement terms to meet temporary shortage in locally trained staff.
5. Normally, it takes about three years to train a SATCO to qualify as a non-radar controller at the ATCO III rank and another three years as a radar controller at the ATCO II rank. ATCO IIs are responsible, among other things, for training ATCO IIIs and SATCOs in both classwork and on-the-job training, the latter on a one-on-one basis. The job descriptions for ATCO IIs and ATCO IIIs are at Enclosures 1 and 2.
6. CAD will be responsible for providing air traffic services at the new airport at Chek Lap Kok. It has an approved establishment of 98 ATCO IIs and 67 ATCO IIIs/SATCOs for handling the expected traffic demand up to the closure of the Kai Tak Airport and on opening of the new airport scheduled for April 1998. As at 1 July 1996, CAD has a strength of 85 ATCO IIs. We see no problem in filling all the 98 ATCO II posts by April 1998 through internal promotions and direct overseas recruitment.
7. However, we anticipate a shortfall of ATCO IIIs due to difficulties in recruiting SATCOs in the past few years. CAD began a recruitment programme for SATCOs in 1992-93 to prepare for the opening of the new airport. It held two recruitment exercises every year between 1992-93 and 1995-96, but only managed to recruit 57% of the target number of SATCOs (see Enclosure 3). This might be due to increased opportunities for local tertiary education and the buoyant economy in the past few years which made the remuneration package of air traffic controllers less attractive than it had been before. As at 1 July 1996, CAD has a strength of only 40 ATCO IIIs/SATCOs (comprising 20 ATCO IIIs and 20 SATCOs).
8. There are signs of considerable improvement recently in the recruitment of SATCOs. CAD received over 400 applications in response to a recruitment exercise earlier this year. It found 300 applicants qualified and will be inviting around 100 of them for interview. On that basis, we envisage that on opening of the new airport we would have a good supply of 37 SATCOs, but only 14 ATCO IIIs. Since for operational reasons, there must be at least 30 ATCO IIIs to man non-radar control positions at that level at the new airport there will be a shortfall of 16 ATCO IIIs (see Enclosure 4). The shortage would have an adverse impact on the safe and efficient operation of the airport. Furthermore, since we have to train an exceptionally large number of SATCOs (37 against the norm of around 20) at the same time, there will be a shortage of officers at the ATCO II level to act as training instructors.
9. The ATCO IIs available in April 1998 could only cope with part of the training for the 37 SATCOs because they have to undertake other duties, including manning operational radar and non-radar positions at ATCO II level, training ATCO IIIs and making preparation for the opening of the new airport. We therefore propose to hire 16 experienced air traffic control officers, with qualifications equivalent to those of ATCO IIs, on agreement terms directly from overseas for a fixed term of three years to man operational positions at ATCO III level on the one hand and to train SATCOs on the other. DCA envisages that the additional training capacity provided by the ATCO IIs will help to ensure a sufficient supply of local ATCO IIIs to man all the control positions at that level at the end of the three year period and, in due course, a steady supply of local ATCO IIs as well through internal promotion.
10. DCA proposes to start recruiting the temporary ATCO IIs as soon as possible to make sure that they will all be in post before the opening of the new airport. It normally takes some 9 to 12 months to complete an overseas recruitment exercise and, in line with international practice, up to six months to familiarise the new recruits with the air traffic operational environment and procedures in Hong Kong through a conversion exercise.
11. We estimate that the cost of hiring 16 temporary ATCO IIs for three years on agreement terms, including salaries and staff on-cost, is $88.78 million. The breakdown of the cost is as follows -
|
$ million
|
|
(a) Basic salary
|
48.30
|
|
(b) Staff on-costs
|
39.54
|
|
(c) Other one-off miscellaneous costs
|
0.94
|
|
Total
|
88.78 |
12. As regards paragraph 11(a), the expenditure is for payment of the basic salary to 16 temporary ATCO IIs for three years. We have used the maximum salary point of the ATCO II rank in our estimate as the recruits are likely to be experienced. Actual salary would however depend on experience of the person recruited. For annual salary adjustment over the period of employment, we have built into the estimate an adjustment factor equivalent to the latest Hang Seng Consumer Price Index of 7.4% per year.
13. As regards paragraph 11(b), the expenditure is for payment of gratuity, as well as accommodation allowance, passage and education allowance in accordance with normal terms for ATCO IIs recruited overseas.
14. As regards paragraph 11(c), the expenditure is for other one-off costs such as settlement grant, unaccompanied air baggage allowance and hotel subsistence allowance in line with those for ATCO IIs recruited overseas.
15. The estimated cash flow is as follows -
|
Year
|
$ million
|
|
1997-1998
|
12.50
|
|
1998-1999
|
24.63
|
|
1999-2000
|
25.78
|
|
2000-2001
|
25.87
|
|
Total
|
88.78 |
16. CAD's policy has been to recover the full cost of providing air traffic control services. The proposal should not have a significant impact on the relevant charges as we estimate the cost involved would constitute only about 3% of the total cost of providing air traffic control services at the opening of the new airport.
17. We informed the Legislative Council Panels on Economic Services and Public Service of the proposal through circulation of an information paper on 11 July 1996.
18. We have stated in the 1995 Policy Address our commitment to continuing with the recruitment and training programmes for air traffic control staff to prepare for the operation of the new airport at Chek Lap Kok. It is also our policy to localise air traffic control officers whenever possible.
Economic Services Branch
July 1996
Enclosure 1 to FCR(96-97)58
1. To provide air traffic control services in his area of jurisdiction at radar and non-radar positions so as to ensure safe operation of aircraft in accordance with standards and recommended practices prescribed by International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO).
2. To provide flight information service to aircraft operating in his area of jurisdiction to ensure flight safety.
3. To provide alerting service and every assistance possible to aircraft experiencing emergency or operational difficulties and to inform the Air Traffic Services Watch Supervisor to dispatch the appropriate search and rescue units to assist the aircraft.
4. To co-ordinate with adjacent control positions and air traffic control centres in neighbouring countries to ensure smooth and efficient handling of air traffic in his area of jurisdiction. Should there be traffic congestion, inform the Air Traffic Services Watch Supervisor to impose measures to regulate traffic operating within Hong Kong airspace.
5. To provide on-the-job training to Air Traffic Control Officers III (ATCO IIIs) and Student Air Traffic Control Officers (SATCOs) at designated control positions until they are ready for checks by Senior Standards Officers for the award of Air Traffic Control ratings.
Enclosure 2 to FCR(96-97)58
1. To provide air traffic control service in his area of jurisdiction at non-radar positions so as to ensure safe operation of aircraft in accordance with standards and recommended practices prescribed by International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO).
2. To provide flight information service to aircraft operating in his area of jurisdiction to ensure flight safety.
3. To provide alerting service and every assistance possible to aircraft experiencing emergency and operational difficulties and to inform the Air Traffic Services Watch Supervisor to dispatch the appropriate search and rescue units to assist the aircraft.
4. To co-ordinate with adjacent control positions and air traffic control centres in neighbouring countries to ensure smooth and efficient handling of air traffic in his area of jurisdiction.
5. To attend training courses in the Air Traffic Management Division Training Unit for non-radar and radar ratings in accordance with departmental training programme.
6. After passing of the internal training courses, to undergo on-the-job training at control positions to validate non-radar as well as radar ratings.
Enclosure 3 to FCR(96-97)58
|
Year
|
Target *
(a)
|
Number of SATCO
recruits accepted appointment
(b)
|
Percentage
(c)=(b)/(a)
|
|---|
|
1992-93
|
3
|
1
|
33%
|
|
1993-94
|
14
|
11
|
79%
|
|
1994-95
|
10
|
5
|
50%
|
|
1995-96
|
22
|
11
|
50%
|
|
1996-97
(as at 1.7.96)
|
21
|
(Recruitment in progress)
|
|
|
|
Total
(1992-96)
|
49
|
28
|
57%
(average)
|
(*) The number includes vacant and newly created ATCO III / SATCO posts and anticipated vacant posts of ATCO IIIs as a result of promotion and wastage.
Enclosure 4 to FCR(96-97)58
|
Rank
|
Approved establishment
to cater for new airport opening
(a)
|
Strength
as at
1 July1996
|
Expected
strength
in April 1998
(b)
|
Expected
shortfall
in April 1998
(c)=(b)-(a)
|
|---|
|
ATCO II
|
98
|
85
|
98
|
0
|
|
ATCO III/SATCO
(See breakdown below)
|
67
|
40
|
51
|
(16)
|
|
(a) ATCO III on operational duties
|
30*
|
20
|
14
|
(16)
|
|
(b) SATCO undergoing training for advancement to ATCO III
|
37*
|
20
|
37
|
0 |
Note
(*) SATCO and ATCO III is a combined rank. For operational reasons, there must be at least 30 ATCO IIIs manning non-radar control positions on opening of the new airport. The figures given here indicate demand, not approved establishment.
Last Updated on 2 December 1998
