Automatic Dependent Surveillance communications technology has the potential to improve the accuracy of ATC prediction and queue management tools, generating significant safety and environmental benefits.

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.

Future Flight 1 and 2 helped us to understand how new eVTOLS and drones move, operate and perform. Phase 3 of Future Flight will move us to the next stage, showing us how new airspace users could interact with existing air traffic, at airports and in a shared airspace. 

Big jets, bustling airports and exciting destinations may be the conventional image of aviation.  But the industry is on the cusp of profound change, with eVTOL aircraft and mass drone operations set to transform our skies in a way we haven’t seen for a hundred years.

Underpinning that new world we need solid foundations, and we’re developing NATS OpenAir to unlock the future of aviation in the UK, revolutionise the way we use airspace and accommodate a new generation of flight.

No longer a future concept, drones are now being used to save lives, and do good for humankind; from delivering medical care to searching for those lost at sea. Russell Porter, Head of New User Engagement, discusses the potential of these advancing technologies and how we’re working together as an industry to integrate into the skies above Britain.

Our focus is on ensuring the UK’s already busy skies are safe and accessible for everyone, with new airspace users one day safely and seamlessly operating alongside conventional crewed aircraft.

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.

Our skies are experiencing a remarkable transformation with the rapid emergence of new airspace users like uncrewed, electric, and high-altitude aircraft.  Amidst this dynamic landscape, NATS has been pioneering the use of analytics technologies to revolutionise the way we design safe, efficient, and sustainable airspace networks.

Jess Parsons is the Wilder Schools and Communities Officer for HIWWT at Swanwick Lakes. She has written a guest blog for NATS.

NATS was recently named in the 2023 Financial Times-Statista Climate Leaders list, for the third consecutive year. The prestigious list names just 500 European companies that have achieved the greatest reduction in emissions intensity since 2016. So, what have we been up to, and what are our future commitments as we move towards a decarbonised aviation industry? Our newly published ‘Transition Plan’ compiles the journey so far and gives a preview of our ambitions for the next five years.