Most people boarding a flight this summer won’t give a moment’s thought to who owns the air traffic control service supporting their journey.

On 31 March 2001, the UK Government introduced legislation that enabled NATS to become a Public Private Partnership. This move marked a fundamental shift in how NATS would operate and invest for the long term.

25 years to the day since the original legislation was tabled, we reflect on how far NATS has come.

At NATS, being a responsible business isn’t just a commitment or policy; it is a core part of who we are and how we work every day. Our latest Responsible Business Report makes this clear and outlines the significant progress we’ve made across the organisation over the past financial year (2024/25).

At this week’s Airlines 2025 event, I joined colleagues from across the sector to discuss capacity and resilience in UK aviation. It highlighted a simple truth: growth alone will not suffice for passengers — resilience must grow alongside capacity. That’s the standard the industry is aiming for, and it’s how the UK will remain competitive.