This is what it's like to be an air traffic controller at the world's busiest airport

Four hundred feet above Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, air traffic controllers guide the skies over the world’s busiest airport.

From their perch inside the tallest control tower in the United States, they oversee more than 2,600 takeoffs and landings every single day.

It’s a job that demands total focus, where a single mistake could ripple through flight schedules across the country and even the globe.

For the 58 controllers who rotate through the tower, efficiency and safety are the twin pillars of every decision.

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Working at the world’s busiest airport is no joke

Business Insider gave members of the public a sneak peek into what air traffic controllers get up to at the world’s busiest airport, and how stressful the job really is.

On a clear day, controllers can move up to 132 aircraft per hour, orchestrating departures and arrivals with the precision of a symphony conductor.

But the real challenge comes when the weather turns sour.

“You can look out the window and see nothing at all, and still have movement taking place on your airport,” said Rally Caparas, the manager of the airport’s Air Traffic Control Tower at the time.

Using radar, GPS, and advanced systems like ASDE-X, they can safely direct planes even when visibility is zero.

Controllers divide responsibilities to keep the flow manageable.

Local controllers handle the takeoffs and landings on specific runways, while ground controllers direct taxiing airplanes to their gates or runways.

Each plane is tracked with flight strips, detailing flight numbers, aircraft types, and destinations.

And with flight departures being scheduled almost constantly throughout the day, the workload is staggering.

At any moment, a controller may be juggling instructions for up to 30 planes, even though human short-term memory is only built for seven items at once.

That’s why the Federal Aviation Administration mandates breaks every two hours, due to the immense mental strain.

Training to become an air traffic controller isn’t easy

It takes up to five years of classroom work, simulator training, and on-the-job experience to become fully qualified as air traffic controllers.

This is not unlike the training for pilots, where simulator training helps to prepare people for the worst.

Those who make it can expect six-figure salaries, but also the pressure of knowing thousands of lives rely on their judgment and concentration.

If you want to earn a similar amount of money without the responsibility, perhaps consider a career painting coachlines for Rolls-Royce, although this job is even more exclusive.

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