We are always looking for new ways to challenge and inspire our thinking; part of that involves making sure that our solutions are not limited to a narrow Air Traffic Management (ATM) perspective and are instead considering how knowledge from other disciplines could be applied to ATM.

If you’re reading this at your desk in a warm office, spare a thought for the NATS engineers who are exposed to the elements, all year round working to keep the skies safe.

NATS has played a major role in the SESAR R&D programme since 2009 working with colleagues from across Europe. We are now embarking on the next wave of collaborative R&D through SESAR 2020.

As we set a course for the new year, we thought it was a good time to reflect on our most popular web content for 2016; it gives us the chance to look again not just at the blog, but also our popular Discover features and the Drone Assist app.

We all know the feeling: the year-long angst wondering if you’ve made it onto the Nice List in time for Christmas Eve. Well fret no longer…

Flow regulations are used to reduce or slow down air traffic because of things like bad weather, or not enough room on the ground at the destination airport. It’s a decision that’s never taken lightly, but it is always done with safety in mind.

At NATS we employ hundreds of people in unique roles that support our air traffic controllers in managing aircraft flying in our skies safely and efficiently. From Analysts to Engineers and Project Managers to Technicians, our employees are passionate about their roles and the contributions they make to air traffic management.

We’ve talked before about the opportunities and challenges that the growth in drone use presents. A new report released this week by SESAR and endorsed by the European Commission attempts to quantify the benefits and suggests the drone market place could generate in excess of EUR 10 billion value annually, in nominal terms, by 2035 and over EUR 15 billion annually by 2050.

To become an air traffic controller requires a specific set of skills and attitude, things that can’t necessarily be taught or learned. For every successful controller validated, many thousand wash out during the process. But as you may suspect, for those that have what it takes it’s rewarding in every sense.

Every year Armistice Day on 11 November provides a powerful focus for national remembrance and reflection and, for many, this year holds particular significance as the 100th anniversary of the Battle of the Somme, one of the bloodiest confrontations of the First World War.