FAQ

Entry Point North is one of the world’s leading Air Traffic Services (ATS) academies, providing training for air traffic controllers (ATCOs), Air Traffic Safety Electronics Personnel (ATSEPs) and Flight Information Service (FIS) officers. Founded in 2006, Entry Point North is a joint venture of the Danish, Swedish and Irish ANSPs. It has training centres across Europe and has trained over 10,000 students from more than 65 countries.

Entry Point North operates seven state-of-the-art training centres across Europe in Sweden, Ireland, Hungary, Denmark, Spain and Belgium.

Yes. Entry Point North can conduct training at any of its training centres, on-site at the client’s facilities, or online via virtual classroom. This flexibility means an ANSP or CNS provider can have courses delivered at their premises if desired, with the same certified instructors and training standards as any of Entry Point North’s training sites.

All Entry Point North courses are conducted in English. Students are required (or strongly recommended) to have at least ICAO Level 4 English proficiency to participate. This ensures that all trainees can follow the instruction and materials effectively.

Yes. Entry Point North offers dedicated Instructor and Assessor training courses for air traffic training personnel. For example, qualified air traffic controllers can attend the Practical Instructor (OJTI/STDI) course or an Assessor course to gain the skills for on-the-job training instruction or competence assessments. Similarly, there are courses for ATSEP professionals (ATSEP OJTI and Assessor training) as well as refresher courses to maintain the qualifications of existing instructors and assessors.

Yes. In addition to training courses, Entry Point North provides consultancy services, simulator services (including simulator rental and simulator pilots), and recruitment and selection support for ANSPs. This full-service approach allows clients to access training, expert consulting, and advanced simulation in one place.

Training certificates are kept for 5 years due to GDPR. A different type of acknowledgement can usually be issued.

Yes. We can check our records and confirm which courses you attended and when. Please include your full name and the email address used when booking. If your name has changed since you attended (for example after marriage or divorce), please also include your previous name so we can locate the correct record.

Entry Point North’s courses are booked by organizations (ANSPs or similar) and are not open for private individual enrollment.

An ANSP can schedule or request training by contacting Entry Point North or using the Contact form or “Request information” feature on each course in the course library. Entry Point North also offers scheduled courses with set dates (suitable for individual or small-group participants). For larger groups or tailored needs, custom course dates and locations are set in consultation with the client.

Yes. All our training is audited under EU regulations and is compliant with relevant ICAO standards. Entry Point North is a member of ICAO’s TRAINAIR PLUS network and an Industry Partner and Associate member of IFATCA, IFATSEA, IFISA and CANSO.

Yes, we can support this. Please contact sales@entrypointnorth.com for details and a proposal.

Entry Point North uses its advanced NorthSim simulator ecosystem across all training centres. This includes over 380 radar and pilot simulator positions and a suite of 3D tower simulators (180°, 270°, and 360°) for realistic tower and radar training scenarios. These simulators are continuously developed with analytics and AI tools to enhance trainee performance and provide a realistic, high-fidelity training environment.

Yes. Entry Point North provides simulator services according to customer requests, please contact sales@entrypointnorth.com for further info.

Yes. All our training is audited under EU regulations and is compliant with relevant ICAO standards. Entry Point North is a member of ICAO’s TRAINAIR PLUS network and an Industry Partner and Associate member of IFATCA, IFATSEA, IFISA and CANSO.

Entry Point North offers the full range of ATC training programs, from the initial Basic ATC course to all advanced ATC rating courses (Aerodrome Control, Approach Control Procedural/Surveillance, Area Control Surveillance, etc.). These courses cover every stage of air traffic controller training, ensuring trainees gain all necessary ratings and competencies.

Initial Training follows EU 2015/340 with Basic and Rating phases, combining classroom training, simulator training and assessments.

It depends on which course(s) and rating(s) the ANSP requires. The standard Basic Air Traffic Control (ATC) initial training course lasts 13 weeks (65 days).

Yes. You can contract full Initial Training or individual modules such as Basic, a specific Rating course or refresher and conversion modules.

We already design ATCO training around clear competences and observable behaviours, in line with the coming CBTA requirements. This means that course objectives, simulator exercises and assessments are mapped to a competence model, so that you can meet future regulation and at the same time get a stronger link between training performance and unit performance.

We can design accelerated training paths that still meet regulatory requirements, helping you bring students into Unit Training more quickly. For Initial Training, we can also run courses with instructors provided, so you do not have to use your own staff as course instructors.

We deliver ATCO training through classroom instruction and advanced simulator platforms. Some parts of the training can be delivered online, combined with classroom and simulator training. For Basic ATC, the theory phase can be delivered online over six weeks, followed by simulator training.

We align objectives and documentation so your Unit Training can build directly on the competences, ratings and performance level achieved in Initial Training.

Unfortunately, we do not have specific open course dates for basic ATC where a single student can join. Please contact us and we will try to help.

Start by applying for an Air Traffic Controller trainee position with an Air Navigation Service Provider (ANSP). Entry Point North’s courses can only be booked by an ANSP or organisation, and we cannot accept private individual enrolments.

We can confirm that there will be CBTA elements in the course. The course is based on CBT principles, which is also why we only have a maximum of 12 participants.

No. Only the theory part of the Basic ATC course can be delivered online (the first 6 weeks).

Yes. Many of our customers choose to run their training at our expanded site in Spain. Please contact Sales so we can help identify the location that best meets your needs.

Yes, in many cases we can accommodate preferred start times. Please contact Sales to discuss your request.

For most of our course deliveries, you are given two attempts to pass the exam. For ATC initial training, it is not a given that you will be offered a re-sit.

The recent EU 2017/373 revision provides ANSPs and course participants flexibility in how they build an ATSEP training path. To become an ATSEP, course participants must complete ATSEP Basic Shared, at least one of the Basic Streams, ATSEP Qualification Shared (Q Shared), and at least one Qualification Stream relevant to the ATSEP profile.
ATSEPs generally have an engineering or vocational technical background before entering ATS.

The ATSEP Basic course is designed for technical personnel operating and maintaining Air Traffic Management (ATM) equipment. It provides basic knowledge of ATM’s operational and technical aspects and prepares learners for the next steps in the ATSEP training path, including the ATSEP Qualification Shared (Q Shared) and Qualification Streams.

Qualification Training is designed to impart the knowledge needed to explain the purpose of each system, each piece of equipment and its technical specification. After successful completion of ATSEP Basic Training, the learner completes Qualification Shared (Q Shared), followed by one or more Qualification Streams relevant to the ATSEP profile.

Price is mainly driven by four elements: the training scope and level you need, the delivery method you choose, the number of participants and courses over time, and the degree of customisation.

You will have access to the online material for 90 days after registration. Please see the specific course page for the estimated number of hours required to complete the material.

All our open courses are delivered online. On Demand is fully online self-study. Live Guidance includes scheduled sessions with an instructor in a virtual classroom to deep dive into the self-study content.

Yes. Many ANSPs and CNS providers prefer to include ATSEP Basic, Qualification Shared, Qualification Streams, refresher training, and OJTI and Assessor training in multi-year agreements. This often gives more predictable costs, better planning and simpler internal budgeting compared to buying single courses one by one.

No. We do not offer open on-site classroom courses. Please check our On Demand and Live Guidance offerings instead.

All our courses are compliant with Commission Regulation (EU) 2017/373 Annex XIII, Subpart A and/or ICAO Doc 10057.
Please note that ATSEP training content must be approved by the national regulator.

No. We leave practical and equipment-specific training to the individual providers

Entry Point North delivers comprehensive training for Air Traffic Safety Electronics Personnel (ATSEP). This includes the ATSEP Basic course and ATSEP qualification courses across each domain, for example Communication (COM), Navigation (NAV), Surveillance (SUR), System Monitoring and Control (SMC) and Data Processing (DPR). We also offer ATSEP OJTI and Assessor courses.

Yes. Many of our customers choose to run their training at our expanded site in Spain. Please contact Sales so we can help identify the location that best meets your needs.

Yes, in many cases we can accommodate preferred start times. Please contact Sales to discuss your request.

Yes. We can tailor our training to local needs. Since FIS training is not regulated internationally, our standard FIS training may not meet your national requirements. If needed, we will adapt our courses to ensure national regulatory compliance.

It depends on the pilot’s licence and background. Some pilots may not need the full Basic FIS course before a FIS rating course, but they often lack training in ATM-related subjects. Please contact us for an evaluation. We can review the candidate’s CV and do a short phone interview to assess training needs and, if relevant, propose an individual training plan.

To attend the FIS rating courses AFIS, AFIS SUR, FFS and FFP students must have completed the Entry Point North Basic FIS course or equivalent. If you are unsure if the training your students background or training is equivalent to the Entry Point North Basic FIS course, please contact us for an evaluation.

The basic FIS course is designed for AB initio FIS students (learners who are starting a subject from the very beginning, with no prior knowledge or experience in that area). However, the Basic FIS course is also a very good basic training course for other ATS related staff such as AIS officers, ATCO assistants, Flight Data Operators and similar.

Entry Point North provides Flight Information Service (FIS) training for enroute and aerodrome Flight Information Service Officers (FISOs). The training is divided into flexible, stackable modules so you can pick and choose exactly what you need. Modules include Basic FIS, FFS, FFP, Aerodrome Flight Information Service (AFIS) and AFIS with surveillance (AFIS SUR). Other modules may be available and required locally or nationally, for example Aeronautical Meteorological Observer (AMO), including local routine report observations and coding, as well as METAR.

Yes. The Basic FIS course is compliant with the relevant Swedish and Danish law and approved by the respective National Supervisory Authorities.

Yes. However, contrary to ATC training, FIS training is not regulated at an international level by, for example, ICAO or EASA. The competent authority in each country regulates FIS training at a national level, so requirements vary from country to country.

Yes. Many of our customers choose to run their training at our expanded site in Spain. Please contact Sales so we can help identify the location that best meets your needs.

Yes, in many cases we can accommodate preferred start times. Please contact Sales to discuss your request.

We also offer 1:1 sessions with an instructor. This can be useful if you need extra support, or if you are from a smaller organisation with only a few colleagues on the course.

Yes, it is always possible to extend access. We understand that operational duties can be difficult to plan around and may need to take priority over training.

The flexibility that comes with any online delivery, easier to plan and the constraints of not needing to travel.

All our courses are in english, same as the objectivces stated in the regulations

On Demand is self-paced, while Live Guidance combines self-study with scheduled live sessions led by an instructor. During Live Guidance, learners can discuss topics with peers and the instructor, work together on scenarios, and deep dive into specific areas. 1:1 instructor support can also be arranged if needed between sessions.

Yes. Entry Point North provides online training solutions for both ATC and ATSEP courses. Learners can choose self-paced On Demand courses or attend Live Guidance sessions with certified instructors on scheduled dates. Since 2022, over 2,000 online enrolments have been made.

Yes, the learner receives a certificate when reaching the pass rate set in the examination.

As a standard, all our courses have an examination, and you need to have a pass rate of 75% in 2 attempts.

How long do learners have access to the Online courses?

As a learner, you have 90 days of access from chosen start date.  A course has a suggested number of “commitment days” needed to finish the course. These days can be spread across the 90-day access period.

Commitment days refer to the number of days learners generally dedicate to finalising the course.

Yes, Online training is designed to be self-paced, allowing learners to progress through the material at a speed that suits them best. Live Guidance learners need to attend scheduled live sessions, but the On Demand content is always available to them for 90 days.

Live sessions are scheduled in advance and conducted via Microsoft Teams.

Absolutely, our platform is fully optimised for mobile devices, enabling learners to access the training anytime, anywhere. For the Live Guidance sessions, we recommend a proper screen.

Our Live Guidance sessions are highly interactive, featuring real-time Q&As, group discussions and more to enhance the learning experience.

The same reasons that make online training a sustainable choice also enable a reduction in operational downtime. With online training solutions, staff can take the training incrementally online while maintaining their day-to-day operational role. This overcomes the need to find replacement staff for an on-site training period.

Online training significantly reduces the environmental footprint associated with traditional on-site training. Besides resources directly related to physical infrastructure (electricity, heating, classroom supplies), online training also reduces unseen consumption, such as commuting or long-distance travel, and hotel stays. Together, these factors make online training an environmentally friendly alternative that supports sustainable practices and aligns with global efforts to combat climate change.

Online courses are based on the EU/ICAO regulatory objectives and taxonomy levels.

On Demand learners have access to 24/7 support for system support, and working hours to the Learning and Online Team.

Eurocontrol recommends that a candidate should only take the tests once. Retake policy can vary and is decided by the ANSP.

It differs depending on the ANSP’s passing criteria. As a rough indication, on average around 30% pass FEAST 1 and around 40% pass FEAST 2

Yes. If you are looking for an introduction to ATC for non-ATCO participants, we offer a 2 to 3 day course called Rough Guide to Air Traffic Control, which covers the basics.
The full Basic ATC course is designed for participants with no background in Air Traffic Services (ATS).

Entry Point North’s courses are booked through Air Navigation Service Providers (ANSPs) and organisations. We do not accept direct applications from private individuals, so please apply via an ANSP of your choice.
If you represent an ANSP or organisation, please contact us via our sales inbox.

It depends on which duties the ATCO is expected to perform after check-out (for example tower, approach or area control), and which additional training the ANSP wants the participant to complete.

Entry Point North uses its advanced NorthSim simulator ecosystem across all training centres. This includes over 380 radar and pilot simulator positions and a suite of 3D tower simulators (180°, 270°, and 360°) for realistic tower and radar training scenarios. These simulators are continuously developed with analytics and AI tools to enhance trainee performance and provide a realistic, high-fidelity training environment.

Yes. Entry Point North provides simulator services according to customer requests, please contact sales@entrypointnorth.com for further info.