MP opens Swanwick viewing gallery

Local Hampshire MP, Mark Hoban, today officially opened a new viewing gallery at NATS’ Swanwick air traffic control centre.

The new gallery overlooks the operations room where air traffic controllers work 24 hours a day to safely guide aircraft in the skies above much of Britain.

Each day air traffic controllers from across NATS guide an average of 6,500 flights in what is some of the busiest and most complex airspace anywhere in the world.

Mark Hoban, MP for Fareham, said: “NATS is a British success story, and a hugely important provider of local jobs and driver for the regional economy. I never cease to be impressed by NATS’ professionalism and am delighted to be opening the new gallery showcasing the best in air traffic control services.”

Business leaders from around the globe will be able to gain an insight into the world of air traffic control and learn more about the work NATS is doing and the expertise of its 4,500 members of staff – 2,800 of whom are based in Hampshire. The air traffic control company now operates in 27 countries across four continents, and increasingly foreign agencies are seeking out NATS’ advice and services.

Most recently, NATS played a vital role in delivering the London Olympics, helping to redesign airspace to accommodate more flights whilst at the same time slashing delays.

Brazilian air traffic chiefs keen to emulate NATS’ success in 2016 have already paid a visit to Swanwick to better understand the work that went on.

Richard Deakin, NATS Chief Executive, said: “What NATS does is world class and I am very proud of what we achieved over the Olympics. Our new viewing gallery is representative of our ambition and determination to build on that success and to grow our business here in the UK and around the world.”

NATS handles over 2 million flights a year in the UK, carrying more than 200 million passengers, and has staff working in Spain, the Middle East, the USA, and Hong Kong.