By dynamically calculating the spacing between aircraft based on real-time local conditions rather than relying on set distances, Intelligent Approach helps airports to maximise the capacity of their runways and optimise the flow of aircraft into the airport, thereby improving on-time performance.

The NATS ATC team has been working closely with London Gatwick to deliver a big milestone in the airport’s infrastructure upgrades, with the activation of the new Echo Romeo Rapid Exit Taxiway (RET). Construction started in 2023 and it officially opened for operations last month, just in time for the busy summer season which kicks in this weekend.

Stansted tower recently hosted a group of local school children from an Essex school, to help inspire the next generation into the world or airspace and aviation. Here, Anyta Davidescu tells us about the visit, and how she’s helping to introduce careers in aviation to young people…

What started as an idea to support local families through the school holidays has become a regular thing here at Manchester. With the cost-of-living crisis forcing some households to choose whether to eat or heat, it got us talking. We knew we wanted to help.

When an operation is reliant on visual, ‘analogue’ data, that is data that cannot be accessed, analysed, shared, augmented or enhanced. In short, it can’t be harnessed to improve the operation. Once you digitise those views, you open up a whole new world of possibilities.

This week, I was privileged to represent NATS at the Project Caelus flight trials, which demonstrated that drones are on their way to becoming an important part of the aviation industry, and indeed, everyday life.   

Last month marked the official opening of the 164m extension to Southampton Airport’s runway. As part of AGS Airports’ £17 million redevelopment project, the airport now has the capacity to handle larger, traditional short-haul aircraft such as the Airbus A320 or Boeing 737, providing the opportunity for airlines to operate to new destinations, which is great news for passengers and exciting for us in the control tower.

It’s not every day you get a call asking if you can bring your beekeeping gear on your next trip to the airport, but that’s exactly what happened to me just last month, when I was called by our team at Gatwick’s air traffic control tower.

Every day at Heathrow is an incredible feat of logistical and operational planning and delivery. Nowhere is that clearer than in the air traffic control team, but at Heathrow we do have one added secret ingredient: HOEC, the Heathrow Operational Efficiency Cell.

We don’t often find ourselves in the situation when we have to put on regulations – restrict the traffic flows – at airports where we provide the ATC, but it can happen when an unexpected staff illness reduces our Tower team to levels below what they need to operate normal service. Businesses everywhere have to deal with short-notice staff sickness, but it’s especially noticeable for us because it means aircraft can be delayed, or sometimes even diverted to another airport, and that means inconvenience to the airlines and to the travelling public.