NATS

NATS, the UK's leading air traffic management provider, handled its two millionth flight of 2006 on Friday 27 October, 11 days earlier than last year. October also saw the number of flights grow to 212,573, an increase of 3.6 per cent over the same period last year.

Four of NATS’ en-route centres showed increased growth of between 2.1 per cent and 3.6 per cent. The London Area Control Centre at Swanwick, Hampshire handled 173,187 flights; the London Terminal Control Centre at West Drayton handled 119,686 flights; Manchester Area Control 53,974 flights and the Oceanic Area Control at Prestwick handled 34,860.  The Scottish Area Control Centre, also located at Prestwick, saw a slight decrease in the number of flights handled, down 0.3 per cent to 54,473, with slower growth at many Scottish airports and fewer overflights. 

In October both transatlantic overflights, and arrivals and departures, showed stronger growth than of late at 7.7 per cent and 2.2 per cent respectively.  Non-transatlantic overflights grew by 12.7 per cent with flights between Ireland and Italy, France and Spain showing the largest increases.  The domestic market showed a 3.5 per cent increase in October. 

Traffic at the 15 airports where NATS provides air traffic services grew by 2.8 per cent in October with strongest demand at Farnborough, London City, Stansted and Bristol with increases of 32.9 per cent, 21.9 per cent, 9.6 per cent and 9.6 per cent respectively.