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3.1 Tower Controller Responsibilities

3.1.1 General

The Aerodrome Controller (Tower) is responsible for the safe, orderly, and expeditious flow of air traffic operating on the runway and within the aerodrome traffic circuit.

The controller shall exercise positive control over all aircraft and vehicles within their area of responsibility.

Safety shall be the overriding priority at all times.

3.1.2 Core Responsibilities

The Tower Controller shall:

  • Issue take-off and landing clearances
  • Maintain runway separation between aircraft
  • Monitor and control runway occupancy
  • Sequence arriving and departing aircraft
  • Manage circuit traffic
  • Provide traffic information where required
  • Coordinate effectively with Ground and Approach

All responsibilities shall be carried out in accordance with ICAO standards and local SOPs.

3.1.3 Area of Responsibility

The Tower Controller is responsible for:

  • Active runway(s)
  • Aircraft at holding points
  • Aircraft cleared to line up
  • Aircraft on final approach (once transferred from Approach)
  • Aircraft in the visual circuit
  • Aircraft after landing until vacated and transferred to Ground

Responsibility shall only be transferred when positive control has been established by the receiving unit.

3.1.4 Runway Safety

Runway safety is the primary responsibility of the Tower Controller.

The controller shall:

  • Prevent runway incursions
  • Ensure no conflicting clearances are issued
  • Maintain continuous awareness of runway status
  • Monitor all aircraft and vehicles operating on or near the runway

Any uncertainty regarding runway occupancy shall result in the immediate withholding of clearances.

3.1.5 Traffic Sequencing

The Tower Controller shall ensure that aircraft are sequenced safely and efficiently.

The controller shall:

  • Establish sequence early
  • Maintain adequate spacing between aircraft
  • Adjust sequence as required based on traffic conditions
  • Avoid last-minute instructions wherever possible

Sequencing decisions shall consider:

  • Aircraft performance
  • Wake turbulence categories
  • Runway occupancy time
  • Traffic complexity

3.1.6 Decision Making

The Tower Controller shall:

  • Make timely and decisive control actions
  • Act proactively to prevent conflicts
  • Continuously assess changing traffic situations
  • Prioritise safety over efficiency

Delays may be accepted where required to maintain safe operations.

3.1.7 Situational Awareness

The Tower Controller shall maintain continuous awareness of:

  • Runway occupancy
  • Aircraft positions and intentions
  • Traffic sequence
  • Potential conflicts

Loss of situational awareness is a primary contributor to operational errors and shall be actively mitigated.

3.1.8 Communication

The Tower Controller shall:

  • Use standard ICAO phraseology
  • Issue clear, concise, and unambiguous instructions
  • Ensure instructions are correctly understood

Poor communication may result in unsafe situations and shall be avoided at all times.

3.1.9 Key Principle

The Tower Controller is responsible for the most critical phase of flight operations.

All actions shall be conducted with:

  • Safety as the highest priority
  • Separation as the primary objective
  • Efficiency as a secondary consideration

This includes:

  • Establishing landing order
  • Managing departure flow
  • Integrating circuit and IFR traffic
  • Applying wake turbulence separation

3.1.5 Situational Awareness

The Tower controller must maintain continuous situational awareness of:

  • Aircraft positions
  • Runway occupancy
  • Traffic in the circuit
  • Aircraft on final approach
  • Departing aircraft

Loss of situational awareness is a significant safety risk.

3.1.6 Coordination

The Tower controller shall coordinate with adjacent units:

Ground (GND)

  • Aircraft approaching the runway
  • Taxi conflicts

Approach (APP)

  • Arrival handoffs
  • Departure releases
  • Go-arounds

3.1.7 Workload Management

When workload increases, the Tower controller should:

  • Delay departures if required
  • Restrict circuit entries
  • Simplify instructions
  • Prioritise safety over efficiency

3.1.8 Key Principle

The Tower controller is responsible for maintaining runway safety at all times. Safe separation and clear instructions must always take priority over traffic flow and efficiency.