ATC License Regulation Amendment 2026: What Training Organizations and Aviation Authorities Must Review

Key data

Air traffic controller (ATC) training organizations and national civil aviation authorities have work to do following the publication, on 7 October 2026, of the corrigendum to the Regulation (EU) 2017/392 of the European Commission. This regulation establishes the technical requirements and administrative procedures for air traffic controller licenses and certificates throughout the European Union.

The corrigendum — identified as CELEX:32017R0392R(03) — does not introduce new obligations from scratch, but rather amends inaccuracies in the original text that, until now, could generate confusion in its practical application. This means that any procedure based on an incorrect reading of the original regulation must be reviewed and, if necessary, corrected.

What does this regulation establish?

Regulation (EU) 2017/392 is the European reference framework for the issuance, maintenance and renewal of air traffic controller licenses and certificates. It regulates both the technical requirements (knowledge, competencies, qualifications) and the administrative procedures that training organizations and national authorities must follow.

This corrigendum — the third on this regulation, as indicated by the code R(03) — aims to eliminate inaccuracies in the original text that could lead to divergent interpretations between Member States or between training organizations. The specific amendments affect the text of the regulation in force and become mandatory from its publication.

Economic and operational impact

The direct impact of this corrigendum is not economic in terms of new explicit fees or sanctions — available data does not record specific figures in this regard. However, the operational impact is real and can translate into indirect costs if action is not taken in time:

• Review of internal procedures: Approved training organizations will need to allocate human resources and time to audit their current procedures against the corrected text.
• Risk of non-compliance in ongoing certifications: If the amended requirements differ from those applied to date, ongoing license acquisition or renewal processes may be interrupted or delayed.
• Update of regulatory documentation: National civil aviation authorities will need to update their manuals, forms and certification protocols to reflect the corrected text.
• Internal training: Staff of training organizations and competent authorities may need to be informed of the specific changes introduced by the corrigendum.

The cost of not acting may be greater than the cost of reviewing procedures now: a certification issued on the basis of a text with errors may be questioned in subsequent inspections or audits.

Who does it affect?

• Air traffic controllers in the process of obtaining or renewing licenses, especially if the amended requirements differ from those applied by their training organization to date.
• Approved training organizations that provide training for the acquisition of ATC licenses and certificates in any EU Member State.
• National civil aviation authorities of Member States, responsible for certification procedures and for verifying compliance with the regulation.

Practical example

An approved training organization in Spain that is managing the license renewal process for a group of controllers has its procedures documented according to the original version of Regulation (EU) 2017/392. Following the publication of the corrigendum CELEX:32017R0392R(03) on 7 October 2026, it must review whether any of the technical or administrative requirements it applies in that process has been amended.

If the corrigendum affects, for example, the competency assessment criteria or the administrative renewal timelines, and the organization does not update its procedures, the certificates issued may not comply with the current text of the regulation. This could result in observations during an audit by the national civil aviation authority or, in the worst case, in the need to repeat part of the certification process.

Preventive action — reviewing the corrected text and comparing it with current procedures — is the most efficient way to avoid this risk without significant additional cost.

What should companies do now?

1. Download and read the corrected text: Access the updated version of Regulation (EU) 2017/392 on EUR-Lex (reference CELEX:32017R0392R(03)) and compare it with the version your organization currently applies.
2. Identify affected procedures: Review which parts of your internal training, assessment or certification procedures are linked to the corrected articles or annexes.
3. Update internal documentation: Modify procedure manuals, forms and protocols that have become outdated following the corrigendum.
4. Inform relevant staff: Ensure that those responsible for training, assessment and certification are aware of the specific changes introduced by the corrigendum.
5. Verify ongoing processes: If there are controllers in the process of obtaining or renewing licenses, check whether the requirements being applied to them comply with the corrected text.
6. Coordinate with the national civil aviation authority: If you have doubts about the interpretation of the changes, contact your competent authority to align criteria before audits or inspections are carried out.

Official source

Consult complete regulation at official source

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. For specific decisions, consult a qualified professional. Source: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/./legal-content/AUTO/?uri=CELEX:32017R0392R(03)