The government plans to hire 400 more air traffic control (ATC) officers to meet growing manpower needs for air traffic management, at a time when the country is witnessing a double-digit passenger growth. <br/><br/>Emphasizing that air safety is paramount, Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju said in last two years, government recruited 800 ATC personnel and 400 more in pipeline at Airports Authority of India. <br/><br/>In a tweet, the Minister said this will also be the first major recruitment of ATCOs since 2012. He added this has addressed significant security concerns raised by International Civil Aviation Organization in 2012. <br/><br/>The domestic aviation sector has been witnessing over 20 per cent passenger growth in the last many months as well as more number of flights are criss-crossing the Indian skies. <br/><br/>Out of total sanctioned strength of 3,890 ATCOs, the existing strength stands at around 3,000.