Operational Partnership Agreement
Background
The Operational Partnership Agreement (OPA) was established in 2003 as a means of working in partnership with our customers to maximise airspace capacity in the short to medium term (i.e. circa 18 month timescale)

NATS and airlines meet twice a year to generate ideas for fuel saving network improvements.
Objective
The objective of the OPA is to develop a long term partnership where NATS and our Customers, work together to resolve demand/capacity problems and to maximise the use of the airspace capacity in a safe, orderly and expeditious manner.
Benefits:
- Reaching an agreement with customers on a shared vision for the future and the outcomes which when achieved will deliver the greatest value for all parties.
- Providing customers with the opportunity to influence future NATS direction and to focus their efforts on the activities that will make the greatest contribution to improve service delivery for the greatest number.
- Recording agreed outcomes while monitoring and measuring progress towards these objectives.
- Enhancing consultation, communication and trust between NATS and our customers.
- Focus on Network management issues and operational improvements rather than wholly strategic aims.
Facts & Figures
- Stakeholders involved: Worldwide engagement from European, US and Middle East carriers
- Meetings held per year: 3
- Hotspots delivered: Over 15 Hotspot projects closed with measurable customer benefit
Flight Efficiency Partnership
- NATS and airlines meet twice a year to generate ideas for fuel saving network improvements.
- Directly targeting specific penalising route and standing agreement restrictions.
- Collaborative forum where airlines share fuel saving data with NATS ATCOs to prioritise changes.
For more information please contact the Customer Affairs team on E-mail [email protected].