Scotland’s lower airspace is based on a design built for aircraft and navigation technology that belong to another era. Demand has grown, aircraft have changed and the invisible infrastructure that keeps flights safely moving needs a comprehensive upgrade to keep pace.

Earlier this year, we rolled out the Air Traffic Management Portal, ATM-P for short, a cutting-edge platform designed to enhance collaboration between the Flow Management Team at NATS, who ensure airspace sector capacity is safely balanced with demand.

The aviation industry is at a pivotal moment. With the climate crisis accelerating, airlines, regulators, fuel producers, and technology innovators gathered once again at the Sustainable Skies World Congress to discuss how aviation can continue moving toward net zero emissions by 2050.

There have been several updates at the Swanwick Lakes Nature Reserve recently, including the installation of a brand-new wildlife garden; a tranquil space where visitors can unwind in nature. It’s also an accessible, wheelchair-friendly area that everyone can enjoy, and has been a true testament to partnership working. In addition, we’re already seeing some of our native species of wildlife using the space, which we hope to increase year on year as the reserve thrives.

Earlier this month was my first time attending Airspace World. As expected, many of the themes were familiar: the urgency of achieving net zero, the critical role of innovation, and the shared belief that collaboration is no longer optional, but what struck me was how that message was sharpened by the specific lens of airspace.

Recently we published an update to our 5-Year Transition plan, which sets out our path towards being a carbon negative business. Our aim is to be net zero by 2035 and carbon negative by 2040, and to work with our customers, partners and suppliers to achieve a net zero aviation industry by 2050.

Springtime is breeding season for frogs and toads, when they return to the body of water they were spawned so they can mate and lay eggs. Unfortunately, getting back can be difficult, but thankfully the team at Swanwick Lakes Nature Reserve were on hand recently to help out.

Last month I attended my first SESAR Annual Conference on behalf of NATS. It was a fantastic event, with world-leading innovation and cross-industry collaboration on full display. 

Contrails, the wispy white streaks that sometimes form behind aircraft, have long been a subject of interest – sparking debates about their environmental impact, their role in climate change, and even fuelling conspiracy theories.

The question we posed sits atop the iceberg – “Which initiative would have the most significant impact on your airport’s CO2 reduction?”  There are myriad further initiatives than the four presented, and the evolution of existing technology and the emergence of new, will further enrich that catalogue. We unpick the results of the poll here, […]