The ATCA conference and exhibition showed that the the US ATC operation is staffed by dedicated people who are aware of the challenges of NextGen but are tired of a governance model.

Our Chief Executive, Richard Deakin, gave a speech at the Airport Operators Association annual conference. It was a wide ranging speech, taking in market contestability, airport capacity, regulation, Europe and the environment, so we thought it was worth reproducing here in full.

Fifteen minutes don’t go by without another colleague or friend asking me, “What in the world is going on in your country?!?

NATS recently became the first ANSP to establish a modern flight information connection with Eurocontrol for all of the UK’s flight plan related traffic.

We urgently need regulatory reform and common standards to stimulate contestable markets and accelerate progress across Europe, rather than yet more regulation and legislation.

Last week I took part in a panel discussion on the use of technology in aviation to drive sustainability at Air Transport World’s Eco-Aviation Conference in Washington DC.

It was striking that at a conference wholly about the environment and aviation, NATS was the only ANSP represented, yet the topic of air traffic management (ATM) was seemingly on everyone’s lips.

NATS is playing a central role in supporting the development of UAVs in the UK. In fact we’ve actually been controlling remotely piloted or unmanned air systems for more than 40 years.

We’ve been able to measure the environmental efficiency of the aircraft in our skies for some time now, but until now we haven’t been able to extend that knowledge to planes operating on the ground at airports.

It’s 5.00 a.m. and you’re dozing on your flight as it crosses over the Scottish coastline. However, the Air Traffic Controller responsible for your aircraft is wide awake and alert. Martin Cox discusses how Human Factors – including fatigue management – promotes safety and performance in our people.

One of the key challenges facing aviation today is that the speed of realising new airport developments – whether that’s new runways or terminals – is being outpaced by airline demand. That’s why managing and maximising airport and airspace efficiency has become so important.