Performing a Red Arrows display is physically and mentally demanding and requires absolute concentration from the 9 pilot team to ensure each others’ safety and the safety of the public.

Hosting major international sporting events presents both challenges and opportunities, with the invisible infrastructure above our heads playing an integral role in the planning process.

NATS was recently awarded a contract to work with the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) on air traffic management, specifically looking at airport expansion plans, high intensity operations and third runway activity.

So we thought it a good and timely opportunity to share a data visualisation we had made for the Asia Pacific region, offering some insight into just how busy the skies of the region are on any given day.

Sometimes it takes a terrible tragedy to galvanise our understandably conservative industry into taking bold steps, but our response must be measured as well as meaningful.

Today marks five years since Europe’s skies were plunged into an eerie quiet following the eruption of the Icelandic volcano, Eyjafjallajökull.

We are at the dawn of a third age of air traffic management, a world of airspace systemisation. It means that aircraft will again be separated procedurally, only this time based on technologies unimaginable to those pioneering pilots and controllers of the ‘40s and ‘50s.

Engineers can imagine too! As we begin to deploy more SESAR air traffic management technologies and concepts, we are also imagining how we could further improve our services – now and in the future.

As the solar eclipse grabs the attention of people world-wide, many will be unaware of the how this impacts aviation – and why we need to prepare for it.

Six months ago I received an email asking for a response to the House of Lords European Union Internal Market, Infrastructure and Employment Sub-Committee call for evidence for its inquiry into the ‘Civilian Use of Drones in the EU’.

This is the third annual World ATM Congress trade show and we’re looking forward to welcoming delegates onto our stand to talk with our team and watch a range of technical demonstrations, as well as participate in more light hearted activities in the form of refreshments and games.