How Air Traffic Control Keeps Thousands of Planes From Colliding

Every day, tens of thousands of aircraft travel through the world's airspace at speeds approaching 900 kilometers per hour. Some fly along the same routes, while others cross paths at different altitudes. So how does air traffic control keep them from colliding? In this video, we explore how radar and aircraft tracking systems work, how controllers maintain safe separation, and how busy airports like London Heathrow organize arriving flights. We also examine the 2002 Überlingen mid-air collision and the role of onboard collision avoidance systems when air traffic control fails. Chapters: 00:00 – Introduction 01:06 – How Air Traffic Control Tracks Aircraft 04:42 – How Aircraft Maintain Safe Separation 07:57 – How Busy Airports Manage Arriving Flights 10:47 – How Air Traffic Control Handoffs Work 13:05 – What Happens When Air Traffic Control Fails? #AirTrafficControl #Aviation #HowPlanesWork #AviationSafety #Aircraft #Engineering