NATS, Leidos and Heathrow Airport are celebrating the 10th anniversary of Time-Based Separation (TBS) – using time intervals to manage aircraft separation on approach instead of fixed distances – delivered as a world first when their groundbreaking Intelligent Approach arrival spacing tool went live in 2015.

Following the deployment of Pairwise Separation at Heathrow Airport in December, I sat with John Eden, Service Technical Expert for Traffic Synchronisation, and a key member of the project team, to discuss the intricacies involved, the challenges encountered, and how they were successfully overcome.

In the latest episode of Altitude, Kelly Stone MBE, Heathrow Head of Operations and Jeannine Fernandes, NATS Heathrow Air Traffic Coordinator, joined our host Ady Dolan for an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the inner workings of Europe’s busiest airport and how the centre is evolving to meet future demands.

As we remember those who lost our lives in conflict, Prestwick air traffic controller Angela Henderson tells us about the incredible story of her pioneering war time grandparents. Douglas and Margaret Fairweather are among the very few married couples to rest together in a Commonwealth War Grave and here, Angela reflects on their courageous acts….

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.

You may be wondering, what does professional football have to do with air traffic control? It might not be obvious at first, but there are a lot of similarities – not least that both are high performing, high pressure careers which require certain levels of aptitude and mentality.

You might have spotted the Heathrow air traffic control tower on TV recently in the BBC’s new show – ‘The Airport: Back in the Skies’. Presented by the original 90’s ‘Airport’ series star Jeremy Spake, the five-part documentary series looks at how the aviation industry at Britain’s busiest airport managed through the most challenging time in its history.

There were nine go-arounds in a row at one point at Heathrow, and 40 in total between 07:00 and 14:00, when usually we might see one a day. Add in similar problems at other airports and you’re suddenly dealing with a very complex, dynamic and challenging environment.