The dazzling displays that delight the crowds every two years at the Farnborough Airshow always rightfully dominate the headlines, but there is also an enormous amount of work going on behind the scenes to make it all possible.

Meet the team responsible for updating the UK’s aeronautical charts, which contain the safety critical information that pilots have to rely on everyday.

Whenever there’s disruption to the air traffic operation somewhere in Europe, for example the industrial action in France last week, we tend to get calls from journalists who are keen to understand the impact on the UK and how we’re managing it.

Find out in this video what it’s really like to train and work as an air traffic controller, and what one of our controllers likes best about her job.

Every day between two and three thousand aircraft fly across the North Atlantic, with the UK – and NATS – acting as the gateway to Europe.

Recently, the media has been focusing on the shortage of female engineers. Initiatives such as National Women in Engineering Day – a day dedicated to raising the profile and celebrating the achievements of women in engineering – provides an opportunity for organisations such as NATS to inspire future generations and demystify what an engineering career means in reality.

This week we have launched a consultation on two particular departure routes at Stansted Airport. This is a part of Phase One of the London Airspace Management Programme, which you may recall we talked about last autumn when we consulted on changes to airspace serving London Gatwick and London City airports.

We developed a series of mini-games to help prospective controllers decide whether it’s the kind of career that might be right for them. See how you get on!

You’ve got through the selection process and started your air traffic controller training.

It may be hidden behind the scenes at times, but engineering is a vital part of the work we do.