Austro Control has been responsible for air traffic control and air safety in Austrian airspace since 1 January 1994. There are as many as 3,000 controlled flights in Austrian airspace on some days, often at altitudes of 10,000 metres or more. Aided by state-of-the-art technology, the air traffic controllers of Austro Control bring planes into the right airways and ensure that they keep their distance from others.

The provincial governors and the district administrations are also part of the Aviation authorities in Austria. The provincial governors have de facto power to authorise the following:

• non-airport landings and take-offs
• bans on air traffic outside safety exclusion zones
• civil air shows.

The powers of district administrations cover matters concerning:

• airfields including their safety exclusion zones,
• bans on air traffic inside the above zones,
• licensing of civilian ground services at airfields,
• the imposition of administrative penalties in aviation matters.

The Federal Ministry for Transport, Innovation and Technology (bmvit) is as the Supreme Civil Aviation Authority one of the Aviation authorities in Austria.

The Austrian Aeroclub (ÖAeC) is the Austrian association of the noncommerical general aviation. The club is member of the „Federation Aeronautique Internationale“ (FAI). This non profit organisation operates unpolitical and on a democratic basis.

The Austrian Aeroclub acts as an official body in a number of areas, including the following:

• it issues civil pilots' licences for hot air balloonists, parachutists and for glider, hang glider and paraglider pilots;
• it maintains the flight register for gliders, balloons, microlights, hang gliders and paragliders;
• it licenses companies which maintain or develop and manufacture parachutes, hang-gliders and paragliders, or which supply those companies;
• it licenses instructors in parachuting, hang gliding, paragliding and ballooning.

• Website of the Aeroclub (in German) ~
  http://www.bmvit.gv.at /verkehr /luftfahrt /aeroclub.html