Airspace
The unsung heroes of change
9 March 2020From time to time, you might hear us talk about airspace changes. But we rarely talk about the work that goes on behind the scenes to deliver the end result. Every change is broken down into elements, all managed by different teams – from safety experts to engineers who work closely to put their individual puzzle pieces together. These teams must ensure they deliver their pieces of the puzzle on time so that projects don’t slip, and airspace changes can always be delivered on the date that has been planned.
On the verge of a revolution
25 February 2020This year marks 100 years since the birth of air traffic control services in the UK – at Croydon Airport in south London. Today, we are on the verge of another revolution in air traffic control.
Quite rightly, there is now huge focus on how we can make flying more environmentally sustainable. People want to fly, and aviation has opened up global markets that nobody imagined 100 years ago. We won’t be turning the clock back – we just have to get smarter at how we fly.
Extraordinary new colourised photos tell the story of the birth of Air Traffic Control
25 February 2020We’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.
‘File it, fly it’: the flight paths of the future
13 February 2020We’ve often talked about the need to modernise UK airspace. It hasn’t seen any significant redesign since it was first mapped out in the 1950s. But, since then, the type and number of aircraft flying through our airspace have changed dramatically. We have been exploring what our future airspace could look like; what it could […]
Ten years of Prestwick Centre
6 February 2020It’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.
Our Road-Map to Net Zero
4 February 2020It’s now 15 years since Sustainable Aviation was set up, a unique coalition across the aviation industry established to work collectively and collaboratively to reduce the impact of our operations on the environment.
What happens during an airborne security event?
14 January 2020You 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.
Importance of aviation to UK public on the rise
2 January 2020NATS has an annual social research programme which includes asking the public, MPs and businesses for their views on a broad range of aviation issues. Our most recent public opinion tracking survey, run with Savanta ComRes (a leading research consultancy), provided us with a strong indication on the things that matter most to people around […]
We’re extending our Artificial Intelligence trial to include full low visibility conditions
18 December 2019Earlier this year we started a project looking at whether we could apply a combination of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and ultra-HD camera technology to help cut weather- related delays at Heathrow. Here’s an update on what we’re doing next.
In March 2019 NATS won approval to use ADS-B to provide a full radar service for helicopter operations in the North Sea. This is the first approval of its kind allowing the use of ADS-B to this level in the UK.