National Air Traffic Services

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For other uses, see NATS.
NATS corporate logo
NATS corporate logo

NATS, (formerly "National Air Traffic Services Ltd."), is the United Kingdom's main air navigation service provider. A full member of the Civil Air Navigation Services Organisation, NATS is also a shareholder in European Satellite Services Provider (ESSP), a company set up to operate the European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service (EGNOS).

The two main skill sets employed in NATS are Air Traffic Control Officers (ATCOs) and Air Traffic Control Engineers (ATCEs). Administrative and support staff, including Air Traffic Services Assistants (ATSAs) make up the remainder of the approximately 5,000 staff employed by NATS.

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[edit] History

Originally setup as the National Air Traffic Control Services (NATCS) in 1962 as an amalgamation of the UK's existing Air Traffic Controls, the company became National Air Traffic Services when it was merged with the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) in 1972 and became a government body. Privatisation was suggested in 1992 but this came to nothing, however NATS was reorganised as a subsidiary company of the CAA to separate its service provision and regulatory roles.

In 1998, a controversial public-private partnership was proposed. This was written into the Transport Act 2000 and in 2001 51% of NATS was transferred to the private sector. However due to the decline in air traffic following the September 11, 2001 attacks £130m of additional investment was required, £65m coming each from the UK government and BAA, who received 4% of the company in return. [1]

The current shareholders are: the UK government (49%); The Airline Group (42%) which is a consortium of British Airways, bmi, easyJet, Monarch Airlines, Thomas Cook Airlines, Thomsonfly and Virgin Atlantic; BAA (4%); and NATS employees (5%).

Richard Everett departed as CEO of NATS in mid-2004 and was replaced by Paul Barron, former Managing Director of Alstom UK.

[edit] Operations

NATS is split into two main service provision companies: NATS En-Route Ltd (NERL) and NATS Services Ltd (NSL).

[edit] NERL

NERL holds the monopoly of civilian en-route air traffic control over the UK and is regulated by the CAA who, for example, can place price caps for the charge NATS can charge its customers.

There are three main NATS/NERL control centres across the UK:

Various radar stations are operated around the UK including the famous installation on Great Dun Fell in Cumbria.

It is intended that by 2011 NATS will have consolidated its en-route and terminal control operations into the Swanwick Centre and a rebuilt Prestwick Centre, which will house the current Scottish, Oceanic and Manchester operations. The new Prestwick Centre being due to commence handling live traffic in early 2010.

[edit] NSL

NSL competes for contracts in the free market to provide air traffic control at airports in the UK and overseas, as well as providing engineering, technical and education services in fields related to air traffic control.

It has won contracts for all of BAA's owned airports:

It also has contracts with other non-BAA airports including:

NSL has also has won contracts to provide a part of the air traffic control services at certain airports including:

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ Our history - NATS

[edit] External links

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