Thinking back through the major crises I’ve worked through during my professional life and nothing has come close to the impact that the COVID-19 outbreak is having on both our industry.

With Mother’s Day around the corner and given the fact we could all do with some cheer right now, we thought it would be fun to chat to some of the mums at NATS who have, in turn, inspired their children to join us.

For #WorldSleepDay we spoke to our air traffic controllers about the importance of a good night’s sleep and working around the challenges of shift work.

To celebrate International Women’s Day this Sunday 8 March and the 100th anniversary year for air traffic control, we are giving 100 lucky winners the opportunity to win a NATS goody bag, featuring one of our commemorative retro patches.  

We’ve worked with Historic Croydon Airport Trust to select a handful of the best photos that help tell the story of the birth of Air Traffic Control and had them professionally colourised by internationally renowned artist, Marina Amaral.

It’s hard to believe that it’s been ten years since the official opening of our Prestwick Centre, but when I think of all that we’ve achieved since 2010, I realise how quickly the time has gone and how busy it’s been.

You might occasionally see news reports on airborne security events. The response is always managed by the Military, but NATS still has a role to play.

I’ve had a longstanding interest in pursuing a career in the aviation industry and having spoken to employees and past placement students about how beneficial the Early Careers Scheme is and how stimulating it was to be a part of NATS, it was a no brainer for me to apply.

Air traffic controllers might not be in the business of saving lives, but every day they – along with our engineers – help thousands of people safely reach their destinations. And the same is true on Christmas Day, with controllers across the country giving up time with family and friends to help make sure others can get to theirs.

I applied to NATS because I knew I didn’t want to go to university as it wasn’t the best option for me. Instead, I applied to three different companies for engineering apprentice roles and after receiving offers from two out of the three, I ultimately decided that NATS’ Early Careers Scheme was the best option for me.