IAA gives Clare jobs boost

THE Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) has announced the recruitment of twelve trainee radio officers for its radio communications centre at Ballygirreen, Co. Clare.

This is the first time that the IAA has undertaken to train its own radio officers as most recruits formerly came from the merchant navy. Ballygirreen HF radio communications have been provided to aircraft on the eastern half of the North Atlantic from Ballygirreen for more than 70 years.
Commenting on the new jobs announcement, Eamonn Brennan, chief executive, IAA said: “The IAA needed to recruit trainee radio officers so as to be prepared for retirements which are due to take place over the next few years.”
The trainees will undergo a year long intensive training programme and once qualified will provide radio communications between air traffic controllers and the pilots of more than 1000 aircraft which cross the North Atlantic every 24 hours.