ATSAC Air Traffic Specialist Association of Canada

The Air Traffic Specialists Association of Canada, known as ATSAC, is the union local for Flight Service Specialists. It represents more than 640 specialists who work across Canada, in every province and territory. Its head office is in Gatineau, Canada, and the local is Unifor Local 2245.

Flight Service Specialists work in three areas of air traffic service. They provide pre-flight weather briefings to pilots, communicate with pilots during flights and trigger search and rescue activities for missing or overdue aircraft. They also conduct weather observations for pilots and forecasters.

The site describes the International Flight Service Station in Gander, NL. Its specialists handle en-route and emergency communications for aircraft crossing the North Atlantic and the polar and arctic airspace. The site says it is one of only a handful of international flight service stations in the world.

Flight Information Centres are located in Whitehorse, Kamloops, Edmonton, London and Quebec City. Airport Advisory Stations help pilots land and take off at uncontrolled airports and provide vehicle control on runways and taxiways. The site says there are 53 airport advisory stations across the country.

The association says the work is a well-paid career with good benefits and a pension. The site has a page for people who want to become Flight Service Specialists, along with a gallery and a video that shows the work in action. It states that the association represents its members in every province and territory.

The site has a members portal, a resources and bulletins page, and an application form for new members. Contact options include a contact page with phone numbers and a page with email lists. The site is available in English and French.