Air traffic control for commercial flights started in 1920 when Croydon was first used as London’s air terminal – but all the controller could do was give the pilot a red or green light for take-off and acknowledge position reports sent by radio.
After the war
After the War, ATC was the responsibility of the Ministry of Civil Aviation, and the network of air routes used today began to develop in the 1950s.
Heathrow 1950s
National Air Traffic Control Services (NATCS) was established in December 1962, as a ‘unified national organisation’ covering civil ATC but liaising with the MoD (RAF) in areas where military traffic needed to cross civilian routes.
National Air Traffic Control Services became National Air Traffic Services when it was made part of the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) when that organisation was established in April 1972. Access to capital investment (repayable) was only through the Public Sector Borrowing Requirement.
Privatisation was first mooted in 1992, and although that debate came and went, it was recognised that as a service provider, NATS should be operated at some distance from its regulator (the CAA), so NATS was re-organised into a Companies Act company in April 1996 and became a wholly-owned subsidiary of the CAA.
The Public-Private Partnership for NATS was proposed in June 1998, and enshrined in the Transport Act 2000. Government chose the Airline Group as the preferred partner in March 2001 and the transaction was completed in July 2001 with the sale of 46% (to the AG) and the devise of 5% to staff. Although the Government retained the balance, the company was finally free of Treasury control.
Heathrow 1968
The aviation industry downturn after September 11 2001 led to a financial restructuring of NATS, involving £130 million of additional investment (£65m each from the Government and BAA plc), which reduced borrowings.
BAA plc took a four percent shareholding, reducing the Airline Group’s holding to 42%. Debt was further reduced by a £600 million bond issue, successfully completed in October 2003.
In 2003, NATS launched its ten-year £1 billion investment programme with the announcement of a complete renewal of its radar network. Since then, it has been working with Nav Canada on a new system for Oceanic control, entering service later in 2006, announced a study with the Irish into the development of Europe’s first Functional Airspace Block and launched a Joint Venture company with the Spanish to develop the next generation of air traffic management systems for Europe.
Company milestones
2010
- May: Volcanic ash continues to cause disruption to air traffic and the CAA impose no fly zones across areas of the UK.
- April: In an unprecedented event, Volcanic ash brings UK air traffic to a standstill, when airspace is restricted.
- February: HRH The Princess Royal officially opens Prestwick Centre. MACC successfully transfers to Prestwick Centre.
- January: NATS employees pull out all the stops to keep operations running smoothly during the worst weather for forty years.
2009
- December: Airways move to Prestwick Centre.
- November: RAF Prestwick is fully established in the new Operations Room at Prestwick Centre.
- October: Oceanic is the first to move into the new Prestwick Centre.
- September: The North Sea multilateration project boosts North Sea helicopter safety.
- August: New virtual control facility for Heathrow is launched. 70 years since the first flight took off from Birmingham International Airport.
- June: NATS Services secures MAnchester Airport ATC contract until 2015.
- May: NERL wins a significant contract with Eurocontrol to deliver a safety culture and measurement project. The plan to manage the airspace under the UK-Irish functional airspace block (FAB) is published.
2008
- November: NATS Services is recognised as best service provider by the Airport Operator’s Association.
- October: NATS Services win a MoD contract to redesign flight procedures at 54 MoD aerodromes.
- August: NATS hands back its lease to the MOD for the West Drayton site. NATS signs a significant contract with Frequentis to provide the largest electronic flight data system in Europe.
- July: Farnborough Airshow celebrates its 60th anniversary.
- June: Four years of work by NATS and the IAA culminates in the announcement of the first functional airspace block (FAB).
- May: NATS launches new Aeronautical Information Service website.
- March: Heathrow Terminal 5 goes live.
- February: NATS launches its biggest ever consultation, Terminal Control North, for airspace change across south east England.
2007
- November: Terminal Control transitioned from West Drayton to Swanwick after 40 years.
- October: NAS (National Airspace System) transferred successfully to Swanwick after over 30 years at West Drayton.
- June: NATS signs a collaborative agreement with Spain’s AENA amd Germany’s DFS to progress iTec as their common electronic flight data processing system.
- April: The new Heathrow Tower opens. NAS transferred successfully to Swanwick after over 30 years at West Drayton.
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.
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
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
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
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
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
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
1999
European Transport Commissioner Loyola de Palacio launches the Single European Sky initiative
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)
1997
European aviation market liberalised when route licensing restrictions are removed
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
1995
easyJet is launched and Ryanair celebrates its 10th birthday. The European no-frills air travel revolution has begun…
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
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
1990
Monopolies and Mergers Commission calls for separation from CAA
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
1978
Scottish operation moves from Redbrae House to Atlantic House
1977
NATS achieves full cost recovery in areas under direct control, making it largely self-financing
1975
Mediator programme complete; Preston air traffic control centre closes and staff merge with Manchester Airport ATC to form Manchester Sub-Centre
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
1972
Civil Aviation Authority comes into being, incorporating NATS’ civil staff; the role of Controller NATS rotates between civil and military personnel
1966
London Air Traffic Control Centre opens at West Drayton
1962
National Air Traffic Control Services formed (word control later dropped) – a joint civil and military organisation; is currently handling 470,000 flights annually
1961
Patch Committee recommends national organisation to plan and run unified ATC system
1957
Croydon Airport closes
1950s
Network of air corridors in use today begins to develop
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
1946
First commercial flight leaves newly-opened Heathrow airport for Buenos Aires
1944
Chicago Convention signed by delegates from 52 countries including the UK embodies post-war standards for civil aviation
1920
Croydon opens as London’s main air terminal; a rudimentary form of air traffic control involving flags is put into operation