An unlicensed teenager controlled air traffic in Bogota for about an hour

An unimaginable tragedy could have occurred in Colombia last month. On 21 July, an incident threatening aviation safety took place. What exactly happened? At El Dorado International Airport in Bogota, an 18-year-old acted as an air traffic controller for about an hour. The man had no experience, training or the required certification. During his time in the air traffic control tower, he communicated with over 200 aircraft, including giving clearance for a Wamos Air flight to Buenos Aires to take off.

How did an 18-year-old end up in the critical zone of the air traffic control tower and why was he allowed to control air traffic? According to journalists from the local news portal Noticias RCN, it turns out that the duty supervisor gave permission to enter the operational rooms and use the communication system (as reported by pasażer.com). The matter might never have come to light, but the teenager posted a video of his visit on social media, which was noticed by Aerocivil, the Colombian civil aviation authority.

The incident was considered a serious breach of security. Several controllers, including the supervisor on duty and the teenager's father (an air traffic controller from Medellín), have had their licences suspended, disciplinary proceedings have been initiated against five employees, and the local prosecutor's office is investigating whether a crime has been committed. Fortunately, no one was injured in the incident, although the entire incident could have led to a tragedy.