Breadcrumbs
You are here:
- > Home
- > Media Centre
- > Frequently asked questions
NATS
A world leader in air traffic management
- Where is NATS located?
Our main air traffic control centres are the London Area Control Centre at Swanwick in Hampshire, which also houses London Terminal Control; the Manchester Area Control Centre at Manchester airport; and the Scottish Area Control Centre and Oceanic Area Control Centre at Prestwick in Ayrshire. At all three, we provide en route air traffic control for the skies above the UK.
NATS is responsible for tower and approach airport traffic services at 15 of the UK's major airports. These are: Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted, Luton, London City, Manchester, Birmingham, Southampton, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Bristol, Cardiff, Farnborough and Belfast International. NATS also supplies air traffic control services for Gibraltar airport.
Our corporate and technical centre is at Whiteley, near Fareham in Hampshire, and the College of Air Traffic Control is at Hurn, near Bournemouth airport. Our commercial arm, NSL, is based near Heathrow.
- What is NATS' two-centre strategy?
NATS’ objective is to maintain its position at the cutting edge of European air traffic control development.
As we move towards a Single European Sky and consolidation of air traffic control centres across Europe, our two-centre strategy involves rationalising the number of centres from four sites at the time of the PPP in 2001 to two by 2010.In November 2007, the London Terminal Control operation was moved from West Drayton near Heathrow, to join with London Area Control operations at the Swanwick Centre in Hampshire. This reduced the number of centres from four to three.It will be two when the Manchester Area Control Centre is moved under the same roof as Oceanic Control at the new Prestwick Centre in Ayrshire, Scotland.
- As traffic continues to grow, how will NATS ensure it can meet future demand for air travel?
We are midway through a ten-year, highly challenging £1bn investment programme, which encompasses over 300 separate projects. It will completely renew our infrastructure by 2013 to give us the capacity our customers are demanding.
To do this, we are working with partners in Europe like the Spanish IT company, Indra, and in Canada with NAVCAN, to develop the next generation of air traffic management systems to ensure safety and efficiency are improved against a background of projected traffic growth. - How many flights and passengers do you move each year?
NATS is the UK’s leading provider of air traffic management services. We safely handled nearly 2.5 million flights in 2007, moving over 220 million passengers - nearly four times the population of the UK.
- The number of flights in UK airspace continues to grow - how can you guarantee safety?
Safety is NATS' first priority and always will be. The company's principal task is to ensure aircraft under our control are safely separated. In 2007, there was one loss of separation between aircraft which might have posed a risk; the same as in the previous year despite rising traffic levels.
We pioneered safety management systems in the air traffic control industry and continue to monitor trends and incidents to see what safety lessons can be learned and what preventive measures can be put in place. We are actively involved in anticipating safety events and have rigorous reporting structures in place so that we can learn from each incident, however minor.
We fund and operate the Lower Airspace Radar System (LARS), a system to advise private flyers where they are in relation to controlled airspace over southern England used by commercial airliners - despite the fact that this is not part of our licence obligation. Since the launch in September 2007, more than 250 infringements have been prevented.
- The PPP was much criticised - was it a success?
The PPP, or Public Private Partnership, was established in July 2001 and strengthened in 2003 following a financial restructuring prompted by the financial downturn following 9/11. NATS is now owned 49% by the Government; 42% by The Airline Group, a consortium of UK airlines; 4% by BAA and 5% by an Employee Share Trust. The company has just reported its fifth successive year of profit.
In the last year we have continued to maintain our strong safety record, whilst handling record numbers of flights. NATS-attributable delays have been reduced from more than two minutes at the time of the PPP to less than 27 seconds this year.
The company has a 10-year, £1bn investment programme. Within 10 years of the PPP (2011) we will have achieved our two-centre strategy and delivered the majority of our £1bn investment programme, due for completion in 2013.Financial year ended 31 March 2002/3 2003/4 2004/5 2005/6 2006/7 2007/8 Flights handled 2,029,997 2,099,980 2,200,665 2,330,589 2,405,573 2,470,940 Delay seconds (attributable to NATS) 130.1 40.7 20.9 22.2 22.6 26.8 Safety (airprox)
- where NATS is providing service
- NATS attributable
- Risk bearing (A/B)
86
42
1
68
24
1
71
27
2
56
17
0
55
17
1
54
20
1
NATS Group profit/(loss) before tax (£m)
As stated under UKGAAP
As stated under IFRS
(29.1m) 1.8m 85.3m 80.3m 94.4m 66.7m NATS Group net debt (£m)
As stated under UKGAAP
As stated under IFRS
702.3m 697.6m 630.2m 598.5m 577.3m 538.1m - NATS is licensed by the CAA to provide air traffic control services in the UK - what are the terms of this licence?
NATS is licensed by the Civil Aviation Authority to provide air traffic control services. The terms of our licence require us to be capable of meeting on a continuous basis any reasonable level of overall demand. We are charged under our licence with permitting access to airspace on the part of all users whilst making the most efficient overall use of airspace. The full details are published at: www.caa.co.uk
- What is NATS doing to contribute to reducing the impact of aviation on the environment?
NATS takes its environmental responsibilities seriously and is a founder member of Sustainable Aviation
This is a unique cross-industry initiative to align airports, airlines, manufacturers and air traffic control behind commitments to explore new technologies and procedures to minimise the environmental impact of our business.
Earlier this year, we were the first air navigation service provider to declare an environmental target, aiming to cut the emissions of aircraft under our control by, on average, 10 per cent per flight by 2020 against a 2006 baseline. NATS also aims to achieve a carbon-neutral estate by 2011.
The company is also working closely with the Civil Air Navigation Services Organisation, the global voice of air traffic control, CANSOTogether we are exploring further ways to minimise the impact of aviation on the environment. We have a good track record, having pioneered the introduction of quieter, more fuel-efficient Continuous Descent Approaches, and are looking at other procedural and technological means of continuing to improve performance.
- What is NATS position on the development of wind farms?
NATS recognises the importance of renewable energy and treats every application on its merits. We object only where we believe the turning ‘sails’ could affect radar coverage.
Wind farms operating near airports, or in prominent positions with a line-of-sight to radar installations, can affect radar in two ways, by causing shadows (an aircraft might not be picked up on radar) or by causing clutter (i.e. where the large-scale moving blades show up as blips on the radar screen).An agreement has been reached between government and industry which aims to remove aviation and radar barriers to the major expansion of wind energy.
A Memorandum of Understanding, signed by government departments, agencies and industry follows the prime minister’s commitment to find a technical solution to aviation and radar objections to wind farms.
In this agreement, the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, the Ministry of Defence, the Department for Transport, the Civil Aviation Authority, NATS and the British Wind Energy Association agreed to:
- Explore innovative technological solutions to Air Defence and Air Traffic radar, as well as radar absorbent wind turbine technology.
- Shorten pre-planning times, by introducing a web-based screening tool for the early stage of planning.
- Establish a new Aviation Management Board which reports directly to ministers.
- Work with industry to establish financial and staffing resources dedicated to finding solutions.
- NATS is part of the SESAR project - what does this mean for air traffic control in the UK?
NATS is fully committed to the SESAR programme and we are a leading part of the Joint Undertaking that will move it forward. We very much want to be at the forefront of moves towards the Single European Sky and will do all we can to help move SESAR forward to help achieve that.
SESAR is the technical component of Single European Sky initiative to harmonise air traffic control across European airspace. By 2020, air traffic will have doubled and SESAR's aim is to ensure that, using interoperable systems, it is controlled even more safely, with minimal delay and with fewer emissions. We are working with the air navigation service providers for France, Spain, Germany, Italy and Sweden.
- Is NATS setting up a functional airspace block with the Irish Aviation Authority?
The UK/Ireland FAB or functional airspace block, the first to be set up under Single European Sky, became operational on July 14.
A functional airspace block, or FAB, is a sector of airspace covering more than one country which is operated and managed as a single unit.
The UK and Irish governments announced in June 2008 that NATS and its Irish counterpart the Irish Aviation Authority would be operating the world's first Functional Airspace Block, as part of the European Commission's Single European Sky initiative. The announcement is the culmination of four years' work by NATS and the IAA to develop their adjoining airspace into one seamless operation. The joint approach will enhance the safety and improve the efficiency of the airspace, to the benefit of the airline industry and passengers.
- What is a go around? Are they safe?
A go-around is a standard safety procedure in which an aircraft approaching an airport breaks off its approach and flies a circuit before landing. It occurs whenever a pilot or air traffic controller believes that it would be safer to ‘go around’ than to continue with the landing.
It can happen for a variety of reasons including adverse weather, or the preceding aircraft being slow to turn off the runway or start its take-off run. It does not pose a threat to safety. - Why are there delays when it's foggy?
During thick fog, controllers at airports must work to 'low visibility procedures' which enable airport operations to continue safely. They cover approach, ground movement and departures.
Spacing on approach to airports is increased which ensures that the preceding aircraft has landed and cleared the runway before the following aircraft is given landing clearance and that aircraft are more widely spaced when manoeuvring or taxiing at the airport, whether they are arriving or departing.
- What do Air Traffic Controllers do?
They issue instructions, advice and information to pilots by radio to keep air traffic flying safely, efficiently and quickly. Broadly, they tell aircraft to go up, go down, turn right, turn left speed up and slow down.
They track the progress of the pilots they talk to using the latest in radar and software technology. Although aircraft fly to pre-determined schedules, they don't fly exactly the same way each day. Air traffic controllers need to deal quickly with these changing flight plans and unexpected events such as the weather, unscheduled traffic and emergency situations.
There are three broad categories for controllers. Area or en-route controllers are based in centres at Swanwick, Manchester and Prestwick in Ayrshire. They deal with aircraft at high altitude using the main airways from across Europe and the North Atlantic, heading for UK airports or destinations abroad.
Aircraft making their way to the UK's busiest airports in the London area are then handed over to controllers in the London Terminal Control Centre, which is now based at Swanwick after being transferred from West Drayton in 2007. Approach controllers manage some of the busiest and most complex airspace in the world as air traffic is streamed for approach to these airports.
At the airports, tower controllers take over when aircraft are between 10 and 15 miles from landing. They manage the remainder of their flight, ensuring safe separation, until they land and, in the busier airports, guide them to their stands.
At NATS, our controllers also work on development projects such as new controller tools and airspace change and design where their expertise and input is essential in ensuring efficient and effective delivery.
- Are all controllers based in airport control towers?
Most controllers work at 'area control centres' and take care of the en-route stage of the flight, using radar to keep aircraft safely separated and giving them the most efficient route to their destination.
Area controllers are in constant radio contact with pilots, directing flights through their particular airspace sector and tracking the aircraft's exact position using radar and the latest computer technology.
Approach controllers take over contact with the pilots as their flights approach the destination airport. They guide and sequence aircraft into the most efficient order for landing, and provide information to aircraft so they can link up with the ILS - a ground-based radio-signal guidance system for aircraft to make automatic landings, even in very poor visibility.
As aircraft make their final approach to the runway, contact is then passed to the aerodrome controllers in the airport's control tower who guide them to a safe landing. At very busy airports, they also man ground control positions to guide the aircraft safely to its stand once it has landed and taxied off the runway. Departing aircraft also receive this same service. - Do controllers work shifts?
Yes. This is a 365-day, 24-hour business. Controllers work in shifts (each called a Watch). So do engineers and support staff crucial to the smooth function of the operation.
- How long does it take to become an air traffic controller?
Students train at the College of Air Traffic Control for up to 12 months and work on high-tech computer simulators which recreate real air traffic situations for practical training. They are taught by instructors who have been controllers themselves.
Once trainees graduate from the college, students are posted to a unit - either an area control centre or an airport control tower - and work as a trainee air traffic controller, building up valuable practical training and experience before being accepted and validated as a working controller. The entire process takes, on average, three years. - Isn't it really stressful?
Controllers are chosen for a number of qualities. Chief among them are: the ability to stay calm under pressure, the ability to make decisions while processing different types of information and excellent spatial awareness.
These attributes are tested, developed and strengthened over three years of intensive and tailored training. Part of that training is to remove stress and its impacts from the role. There are times when it is a high-pressure job but this is managed carefully.
One method for doing so is time-management. In order to optimise performance and focus, controllers are on duty for 90-minute periods followed by a break of 30 minutes. Their shift patterns are also organised to ensure best practice.
- What are NATS' latest performance figures?
Financial year ended 31 March 2002/3 2003/4 2004/5 2005/6 2006/7 2007/8 Flights handled 2,029,997 2,099,980 2,200,665 2,330,589 2,405,573 2,470,940 Delay seconds (attributable to NATS) 130.1 40.7 20.9 22.2 22.6 26.8 Safety (airprox)
- where NATS is providing service
- NATS attributable
- Risk bearing (A/B)
86
42
1
68
24
1
71
27
2
56
17
0
55
17
1
54
20
1
NATS Group profit/(loss) before tax (£m)
As stated under UKGAAP
As stated under IFRS
(29.1m) 1.8m 85.3m 80.3m 94.4m 66.7m NATS Group net debt (£m)
As stated under UKGAAP
As stated under IFRS
702.3m 697.6m 630.2m 598.5m 577.3m 538.1m