1920
Croydon opens as London's main air terminal; a rudimentary form of air traffic control involving flags is put into operation
1944
Chicago Convention signed by delegates from 52 countries including the UK embodies post-war standards for civil aviation
1946
First commercial flight leaves newly-opened Heathrow airport for Buenos Aires
1949
Hurn School of ATC is formed, later becoming the College of Air Traffic Control in 1962
First traffic figures show UK handling some 18,000 flights annually
1950s
Network of air corridors in use today begins to develop
1957
Croydon Airport closes
1961
Patch Committee recommends national organisation to plan and run unified ATC system
1962
National Air Traffic Control Services formed (word control later dropped) – a joint civil and military organisation; is currently handling 470,000 flights annually
1966
London Air Traffic Control Centre opens at West Drayton
1972
Civil Aviation Authority comes into being, incorporating NATS’ civil staff; the role of Controller NATS rotates between civil and military personnel
1973
The biggest oil crisis to date causes a massive downturn in air travel. There won’t be another blip this big until the US terrorist attacks of 9/11/2001. Orders for the newly-developed supersonic Concorde dry up
1975
Mediator programme complete; Preston air traffic control centre closes and staff merge with Manchester Airport ATC to form Manchester Sub-Centre
1977
NATS achieves full cost recovery in areas under direct control, making it largely self-financing
1978
Scottish operation moves from Redbrae House to Atlantic House
1985
Annual traffic hits 1 million movements for the first time – it has taken 23 years for traffic to double. It takes just 15 years to double again to two million
1990
Monopolies and Mergers Commission calls for separation from CAA
1992
Airport Services is formed
Five-year contract signed with BAA to provide Air Traffic Services at six BAA airports
NATS is the first Air Navigation Service Provider in the world to develop and adopt formal safety management system
Average delay per flight is 22 minutes; despite a million more movements, average delay per flight by 2006 is 22 seconds
1993
Manchester unit renamed Manchester Area Control Centre (MACC) and Airport. MACC becomes the first unit to operate with NATS Operational Display Equipment (NODE)
Government announces privatisation review and directs NATS to proceed with New Scottish Centre as a PFI project
1995
easyJet is launched and Ryanair celebrates its 10th birthday The European no-frills air travel revolution has begun...
1996
NATS manages its first control tower project to design, construct and equip the new tower at Stansted
Design and implementation of controller short term conflict alert system (STCA) for complex Terminal Control airspace – first in the world
NATS established as a Companies Act company. Directorate of Airspace Policy transferred to CAA/MOD control. MOD role in the management of NATS ceased, to be replaced by the NATS/MOD Operating Agreement
1997
European aviation market liberalised when route licensing restrictions are removed
1998
Labour Government announces plans to establish Public Private Partnership for NATS
Airports engineering provides an Instrument Landing System (ILS) to its first external client at Farnborough (TAG Aviation)
1999
European Transport Commissioner Loyola de Palacio launches the Single European Sky initiative
2000
NATS instrumental in the design and implementation of Version 7 of Traffic Alert and Collision Avoidance System (TCAS) software
Annual traffic passes two million for the first time
Legislation enabling the forthcoming PPP is enshrined in the Transport Act 2000
2001
Airline Group takes control of NATS as PPP becomes effective
Manchester airport’s second runway comes into operation
Terrorist attacks in New York decimate air travel worldwide; it will take more than two years for traffic to recover
2002
First flight handled from new Swanwick Centre
Re-arrangement of Irish Sea airspace successfully completed in NATS’ biggest re-sectorisation
World’s first operational Multilateration based ground surveillance system installed at Heathrow
NATS and NAV CANADA announce joint development of Shanwick Automated Air Traffic System (SAATS) to replace Oceanic Flight Data Processing System
2003
January: New Farnborough tower becomes operational
March: BAA becomes a NATS shareholder with approval of post-9/11 financial recovery plan; North Sea re-sectorisation completed
April: First phase of £1 billion investment plan kicks off with start of ten-year, £127 million programme to replace secondary radar equipment at 20 UK sites
July: Thames Radar operation, which included approach services for London City and Biggin Hill airports, moves to West Drayton – accelerated due to flooding at Heathrow
Summer: Move from One Kemble Street in Central London completed as new Corporate & Technical Centre takes shape at Whiteley, Hampshire
October: Heathrow controllers handle last Concorde commercial flight; Work on new Prestwick Centre resumes after two-year suspension following 9/11 terrorist attacks and downturn in air traffic
December: Government publishes White Paper on the future of UK aviation. NATS reiterates that in the aviation industry, infrastructure means airspace as well as land
2004
March: New Clacton airspace arrangements increase capacity by 30 per cent
June: NATS announces its first profit since the PPP
November: Chief Executive Paul Barron introduces 21 destinations setting clear targets for safety, service, value and people; NATS and Irish Aviation Authority commission study into functional airspace block as key step in Single European Sky development
December: Stansted becomes first UK airport to use Electronic Flight Data Processing Strips
2005
March: Two-centre strategy comes closer with announcement that West Drayton-based staff will move to new custom-built Operations Room at Swanwick and to the expanding Corporate & Technical Centre by 2007
April: NATS opens Brussels office
June: NATS joins airlines, airports and aerospace manufacturers to launch Sustainable Aviation – a pioneering programme for long-term reductions in aviation’s environmental impact; Training 2008 launches aiming to create a world-class training and simulation business
July: Independent report is published into feasibility of establishing functional airspace block in UK/Irish airspace
August: NATS wins first overseas contract with a three-year agreement to provide air traffic control services for RAF Gibraltar
October: NATS wins multi-million pound 20-year contract to provide Bristol International Airport’s air traffic control service
November: New Edinburgh tower opens; Prestwick Centre building work declared wind and watertight; Mode S radar displays introduced at Terminal Control, West Drayton
December: NATS completes its first regulatory cycle following the PPP and new regulatory price controls for the next five years are set by the CAA – known as CP2
2006
February: NATS and AENA confirm Joint Venture to develop Spanish ATM system SACTA as platform for both companies’ future plans; NATS and the MOD sign a landmark contract worth £724.6 million to provide air traffic control systems for the next 15 years, enabling full integration between civil and military en-route air traffic control.
March: NATS rebrands to demonstrate coming of age as commercial, customer-focused service provider