Luftkontrolle

Luftkontrolle, often translated as air traffic control, is the organization and execution of services that ensure the safe and efficient management of civil and, where applicable, military air traffic within a defined airspace. It encompasses the monitoring of aircraft positions, the dissemination of flight information, and the issuance of instructions to pilots to maintain safe separation and orderly flow of traffic.

The provision of Luftkontrolle is typically divided into several functional elements: tower control, which manages aircraft on the ground and during takeoff and landing; approach and departure control, which sequences aircraft entering or leaving terminal airspace; and en-route or area control, which guides aircraft across larger regions. In many systems, military air defense coordination operates alongside civilian ATC in shared airspace.

Operations rely on radar or cooperative surveillance, radio communication, navigation aids, and increasingly data-link and satellite-based surveillance, such as CPDLC and ADS-B. Controllers issue clearances, headings, altitudes, and speed adjustments, monitor weather and airspace restrictions, and coordinate with adjacent sectors and international partners to uphold separation standards and optimize routing. Air traffic control serves both instrument flight rules (IFR) and, in controlled airspace where applicable, visual flight rules (VFR).

Luftkontrolle is governed by national authorities and international standards set by ICAO. In German-speaking countries, national providers include DFS in Germany, Austro Control in Austria, and Skyguide in Switzerland.