At the World ATM Congress, currently taking place in Madrid, NATS will be showcasing our expertise in defence. In this video, David Barker, the Defence Business Development Manager for NATS, discusses the importance, and benefits, of a collaborative approach between civil and military airspace users.

This morning I took part in a panel discussion at the World ATM Congress discussing performance delivery and meeting airline (i.e. our customers’) expectations.

In its simplest terms, an infringement occurs when an aircraft makes an unauthorised entry into controlled airspace. This has the potential to affect other members of the flying public through the likelihood of commercial aircraft being re-routed or delayed.

Since the London Airspace Consultation went live on 15 October 2013, a number of points have been raised from members of the public and interested stakeholders, which we thought we could clarify here, as well as in the FAQ section of the consultation website.

Next week NATS is hosting the CANSO Global ATM Safety Conference, bringing together the world’s top experts in ATM safety to share, develop and challenge our safety initiatives and strategies.

In my view, far from just being just “the people in the tower”, air traffic control is at the heart of an airport. It can help set the tone for the entire operation and can make an airport either poor or excellent.

Air travel plays a crucial role in supporting economic growth and prosperity, particularly for an island nation like the UK. Flying is an essential part of modern life. Despite that, few of us want aircraft noise over our homes!

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

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.

It’s been a couple of months of positive news from the Middle East aviation industry. No-where was that more in evidence than at the 13th annual Airport Show in Dubai.