On 24 December each year, UK airspace plays host to a very special visitor, someone to whom the normal rules of the air do not apply – Santa Claus.

Over the past few years more and more effort has gone into reducing the impact that aviation has on the environment. But, even if we were able to drastically cut carbon emission tomorrow some impact from climate change is now inevitable and we need to be prepared.

Today, we announced the launch of FLOSYS, a new real time tool that will help our business better understand the environmental performance of the aircraft we provide a service to.

Following the success of our two data visualisations – Europe 24 and North Atlantic Skies – we’ve taken a lot of time to think about where to go next. We are therefore very excited to publish UK 24 – your guided tour to some of what makes UK aviation work.

The recreational and commercial use of small drones in the UK is on the rise, highlighting the need to support recreational operators in understanding their responsibilities as airspace users.

The new European Commission has indicated that they plan to review the effectiveness of existing legislation before introducing new legislation and I think that’s a good move. They could start by looking at the Single European Sky (SES) initiative.

If a tree falls in a forest with no-one there, does it make a sound? In aviation, we can’t deny the existence of something just because we aren’t there to hear or see it. We need to act on our instincts and feedback.

The focal point for Remembrance Sunday is the two minutes of silence at 11am and as such it’s hugely important that the time is kept as quiet as possible. Each year at NATS we play our part in making it so.

Thank you to everyone who completed our blog survey. We had hundreds of replies which will help us to provide more of the type of blogs our readers want to see, in their preferred formats and covering the most popular subjects. The results are in!

If you’re using fireworks, you need to consider the airspace you’re using in addition to making sure that the spectators are sufficiently protected from the explosives.