News of the planned salaries for Bermuda's air traffic controllers had a rough landing at a meeting this week, The Royal Gazette has learned.

Bermudian candidates for the new Airport jobs were dismayed to learn they would be paid only $30,000 in their first year and $32,000 in their second year.

Serco Aviation Services Inc., the Canadian contractor hired to run the Airport for the next five years, is concerned, said Serco president Mr. Ed Montgomery.

"We have the demand, and the supply is Bermuda,'' Mr. Montgomery said. "If in fact we have to pay a higher salary, and they are good candidates, then we will adjust those salaries to reflect that,'' he said.

"I think it's a wait and see.'' Mr. Don Parrish, Serco's manager in Bermuda, confirmed yesterday that news of the air traffic controller pay scale was not well-received by job candidates.

"People, I think, were disappointed,'' Mr. Parrish said. They said: "This is a profession, and we find the salaries low.'' Bermuda and its contractor Serco take over air operations from the US Navy on June 1.

Mr. Parrish, who noted that the salaries for air traffic controllers rise to $45,000 by year five, said the Bermuda Public Service Commission pay scale was used in determining the Airport salaries. But he could not say what public service job had been equated to an air traffic controller's job for salary purposes.

Bermuda's Airport is "relatively quiet,'' and the jobs in the tower involve "visual control'' of aircraft. Pay for controllers using instrument control is generally higher.

"You have to start somewhere,'' said Mr. Parrish, who hoped the jobs were attractive enough in other respects to attract Bermudians. Of the Airport jobs that were available -- including weather, firefighting, and ground electronic maintenance -- the air traffic control jobs were "on the higher end'' of the pay scale, he said.

"We thought we would probably attract young people in their early 20s who would have high school education,'' Mr. Montgomery said. "We did not think we would be very attractive to someone older than that who had post-secondary education.

"The quality of candidates we're getting is far higher than we thought,'' he said. "They come with far more qualifications. Therefore, they have higher expectations for salaries.'' It was still possible that Serco could find younger candidates and pay the planned starting salaries, Mr. Montgomery said.

But if the salaries had to be increased, Serco would pay the extra money out of the company's fixed price contract of $4.4 million a year for five years.

The Bermuda Government knew how much Serco planned to pay its workers when the company's bid was submitted, Mr. Montgomery said. The final amounts were determined in negotiations between the time Serco was selected and when the contract was signed.

The salaries were "probably higher'' than entry level pay at similar Airports in the United States and Canada, Mr. Montgomery said. But, "I understand that doesn't mean it would have to apply to Bermuda.'' The Bermuda candidates selected will each receive about $50,000 worth of training, at no cost to themselves, he added.

Management and Technology Minister the Hon. Grant Gibbons, the main Cabinet Minister responsible for the turnover of the Bases, said the salaries "seemed to be in keeping with comparable salaries in other places.'' The Airport jobs are "permanent,'' though Mr. Parrish explains to candidates that Serco only holds the contract for the next five years.

Two qualified air traffic controllers who are spouses of Bermudians have been offered jobs in Bermuda, Mr. Parrish said. If they accept, then only five experienced controllers will have to be brought in from abroad while Bermudians are being trained.

Training in England for air traffic controllers is to start on May 1. A screning process for crash, fire, and rescue workers is to start next week and for ground electronics workers later in the month.

Serco had interviewed 17 people for weather observer positions and seven began training in Bermuda this week, Mr. Parrish said.