For NATS optimisation is about helping airlines, airport operators and other air navigation service providers to reach their full capability and get the best from their existing resources, assets and infrastructure.

NATS is increasingly being asked for our advice on when more runways might be needed, how to manage demands of global events like the Olympics, and how to reduce delays or move more aircraft.

We’re showcasing some of the work we have been doing on airport and airspace capacity at the World ATM Congress in Madrid. Val Wilson is an expert in capacity management. In this video she describes some of the work NATS is doing to release capacity around the world.

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.

The ongoing debate about airport capacity isn’t just about runways, it is also about resilience to challenging weather conditions. Heathrow is the busiest two runway airport in the world, handling over 470,000 flights a year.

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.

BBC Sussex ran its usual Breakfast Show from Gatwick Airport this morning. BBC Sussex ran its usual Breakfast Show from Gatwick Airport this morning. Steve Anderson, General Manager at NATS Gatwick, was interviewed and asked about his time at the tower and working in air traffic control.

I don’t think that there can be any doubt that the biggest challenge affecting the aviation industry in the Middle East is congestion.