Contract wins for NATS Aeromedical Centre

The Aeromedical Centre at NATS, the UK’s leading provider of air traffic services, has won two new contracts in quick succession – a three-year contract with London Oxford Airport to provide medical services for the 12 air traffic controllers based there, and a contract with Canadian airline, Sunwing.

The work on both these contracts starts this month.

NATS’ aeromedical team, who provide medicals and regulatory advice for NATS 4,500 employees including over 1,900 NATS air traffic controllers, will offer on-site medicals at London Oxford Airport, with the first clinic having just taken place on 12 February.

NATS medical officers will provide on-going active case management, regulatory telephone advice, and Occupational Health services including liaison with the medical regulator (Safety Regulation Group – SRG) as required.

This is the second time the Aeromedical team have been contracted by an airport in which NATS does not operate, after winning a contract with Bournemouth International Airport in 2012.

For Sunwing Airlines, NATS Aeromedical team will perform medicals for an initial 60 pilots while they transition to European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) pilot validations. The pilots will fly in from Canada and the EASA class 1 medicals will be performed at NATS Aeromedical centre in Swanwick, currently one of only 3 Aeromedical Centres in the UK authorised to perform Initial Class 1 EASA medicals.

Dr John Roberts, Chief Medical Officer, NATS, said: “I am delighted to be offering our services to London Oxford Airport’s Air Traffic Controllers (ATCOs) and Sunwing pilots. The proactive management of their cases will minimise any medical related downtime, with benefits to both operational efficiency and the ATCOs and pilots who know they remain physically and mentally fit to perform their role to the best of their abilities. We are looking forward to our visits to London Oxford Airport to see their ATCOs on site, and to welcoming the Sunwing pilots to our Aeromedical Centre.”

“We are well aware that attending regulatory medicals may cause concern for some people not least if you are crossing the Atlantic to do so, but all of my team and especially Dr Maged Girgis who was instrumental in setting up both of these contracts, are looking forward to the Sunwing pilots visits and offering them every support as they transition over to EASA validations and medical certificates”

Mike Sparrow, Airport Manager, London Oxford Airport, commented: “NATS offered a comprehensive AME solution for airport and staff, offering the ATCO’s support and access to the NATS medical help line and the occupational health facility. The NATS medical team provide a professional and flexible approach to the medical requirements of the airport”.

Keith Moore, Assistant Chief Pilot, Sunwing Airlines also said: “NATS was one of our first choices when selecting a Company to perform the EASA Medicals and they were extremely accommodating with the unique challenges this endeavour presented. Our pilots are looking forward to working with the medical team at NATS.”