NAV CANADA Tower Instagram Accounts ‘Humanize’ ATC

NAV CANADA says it’s using the social media platform Instagram to “humanize” the interaction between controllers and pilots with the aim of boosting flight safety. At least eight air traffic control towers from British Columbia to Ontario have created Instagram accounts and are encouraging pilots to engage with controllers online for information that’s hard to convey on the radio. “Each account is managed locally by an air traffic controller and focuses on three key goals: promoting aviation safety, humanizing ATC and providing a platform for pilots to engage with their local air traffic controllers,” NAV CANADA writers Anthony Lam and Tatiana Young say in an essay published by Transport Canada last week. “The idea is simple: leverage Instagram’s wide reach, algorithms and user base to share timely, useful information that enhances pilot safety and situational awareness.”

The writers say pilots can check their Instagram accounts before they head to the airport for updates on conditions and mission-critical information with graphics and images that add context and color not transmissible on the radio, although the radio communications are the foundation of controller/pilot interaction. “It is important to note that Instagram is used to provide context and supplement official sources of information, not to replace them,” the essay says. “Towers do not use Instagram as a substitute for official aeronautical information and publications.” When there are no immediate issues to discuss, controllers use the platform to issue safety reminders and other pilot-centric information that fosters personal engagement with those on the flight deck.

In addition to fleshing out the operating environment for pilots, the essay says the give and take between those on both sides of the mic fosters a collegial atmosphere that softens the intimidation some pilots feel. “Through posts, stories and Q&A sessions, the goal is to humanize ATC and to show pilots that air traffic controllers are not just voices on the radio but also real people who care about their safety,” the writers say. “Our hope is that this social media outreach will help shift the perception of ATC from a faceless and intimidating entity to an approachable and helpful safety resource.”