They do not sit in the cockpit and do not meet passengers at the ramp. But it is they who determine how safe and accurate each takeoff and landing will be. Air traffic controllers are those who control flights from the ground, keeping every flight level, every altitude, every turn of the aircraft under control.
Today, more than 300 air traffic control specialists work at the State Unitary Enterprise Center "Uzaeronavigation". There are 16 in the Fergana territorial department. It is here, at the Fergana-Tower control center, that each day begins with silence and concentration, and then turns into a precise rhythm of work, in which there is no room for chance.
The morning does not begin with coffee
06:00. Rise.
The morning of an air traffic controller does not begin with a cup of coffee, but with an internal setting - there are 12 hours ahead, when not a single second can be lost. The schedule is shift-based: from 8 am to 8 pm and vice versa. The airport lives around the clock, and the dispatchers are its restless pulse.
07:30. Medical examination.
Before taking their place on the "tower", each employee undergoes a medical examination. Modern equipment measures blood pressure, pulse and oxygen levels in a matter of seconds, recording the slightest deviations. And air navigation is not a formality, but a guarantee of safety. In a profession where a mistake can cost human lives, health and clarity of mind are the primary conditions for admission to a shift.
Briefing: be prepared for anything
08:00. Preparing for the shift.
Briefing is not just a list of tasks. It is a kind of "introduction to reality": current weather, equipment condition, planned flights, special routes. The most important part is the analysis of possible emergency situations. Dispatchers practice scenarios: what to do in case of communication failure, unstable weather, emergency landing. Such training is like daily combat readiness.
Three people take over the shift: the flight director and two dispatchers. Each of them clearly knows their area of responsibility, but in an emergency, they all act as a single mechanism.
08:20. Taking over the shift.
The shift handover is accompanied by checking all parameters. The dispatcher taking over the post officially confirms their readiness by reciting the "Dispatcher's Oath" - an informal but significant ritual that is recorded by technical means.
During the day: keep the sky under control
08:30–20:00. Working shift.
The control tower offers a panoramic view of the airfield - as if in the palm of your hand. The Fergana-Tower dispatcher controls every movement: from engine start to the last turn on the taxiway. He controls not only aircraft, but also special equipment at the airfield.
Each takeoff is a chain of precise calculations. The dispatcher monitors the climb to 2450 meters (FL80), after which he hands over control to his colleagues in Namangan-Approach, and then to Tashkent-Control. This is a complex relay race in which there is no room for error. Everything happens in a matter of minutes, but behind them are years of preparation and constant training.
If the pilot requests a change in route, the dispatcher instantly assesses the situation in the air: where the other aircraft are, how quickly they are approaching, what distance is needed for safe separation. His decision must be quick, but verified.
Features of the Fergana airfield
The Fergana airfield is a dual-use facility. It serves both civil and military aviation. During joint flights, dispatchers from different departments work "with four eyes", coordinating each maneuver, each intersection of trajectories.
During a shift, the Fergana "tower" serves an average of about 10 aircraft. These may not be the same flows as in Tashkent, but here too, each operation requires precision, attention and knowledge. There are no “insignificant” flights here — each of them is important.
End of the day
19:45. End of the shift.
After 12 hours of intense work, the dispatcher hands over the shift, records the information, analyzes the results. Only after that — a short exhale, an opportunity to release internal tension.
The Fergana territorial branch is growing and developing. The management of the Uzaeronavigation Center is actively working with relevant departments to optimize airspace, implement digital solutions and improve service efficiency. All this is a contribution to the future, to safety, to the development of aviation in the region.
The air traffic controller profession is invisible from the outside, but key in the aviation security system. This is work without the right to make a mistake, without spontaneous decisions, with full concentration every moment. Behind every smooth takeoff and soft landing there are people who remain behind the scenes, but they are the ones who make the sky manageable.
The State Unitary Enterprise Center "Uzaeronavigation" thanks its employees for their high professionalism, endurance and daily dedication to the cause. It is their work that ensures the smooth movement of air transport over Uzbekistan - from Fergana to Nukus, from Tashkent to the most distant echelons.