Shoreham Airport could become an international centre for training air traffic controllers.

The airport, which has just been sold for £8.6 million, has been lined up as a centre of excellence by Astac Ltd.

The company, based at Rudloe College in Corsham, Wiltshire, specialises in training air traffic controllers.

It has outgrown its current base and wants to move to Shoreham so it would be on a fully-operational airfield.

Astac wants Adur District Council to approve plans to convert the former Jade Air hangar at Shoreham into a training centre.

It would include a new "control tower" on top of the building to give students and trainers a clear view of the airfield.

Shoreham's existing control tower would remain in full charge of aircraft taking off and landing.

The centre would employ ten to 15 staff and train students from all over the world.

Astac provides staff for 26 airfields in the UK and more than 20 international civil aviation authorities. It has a second training centre in Almaty, Kazakhstan.

A letter to Adur in support of Astac's application stated: "Students are almost exclusively sent by the aviation authorities of other countries. The courses vary in length but are often only for a few weeks' duration.

"Students are normally boarded with local households and taken to the airport and collected by minibuses."

Airport manager John Haffenden has told the council he supports the project.

He said: "This will provide much-needed training facilities for air traffic control staff both in this country and overseas.

"The control tower would serve not only as a useful training aid to students but also as an emergency back-up for the airport's own facilities."

The council's planning committee is being recommended to approve the project when it meets on Monday.

Shoreham Airport was recently sold by joint owners Brighton and Hove City Council and Worthing Borough Council to The Erinaceous Group for £8.6 million.

Erinaceous has confirmed plans for flights to Edinburgh, Dublin, Amsterdam and Paris.

It also wants to build a dedicated railway station at the airport, a visitor centre, a business park, leisure services and mixed commercial activities.

Neil Bellis, chief executive of Erinaceous, said: "We are very proud to be the new owners of such an exciting aviation centre. We believe there is enormous potential to attract new employment opportunities to the airport."