Positive start to 2011 as flights rise nearly five per cent
The number of flights handled by NATS in January was 4.6 per cent up on the same month last year, the first significant monthly increase since the start of the downturn.
Statisticians point to disruption caused by heavy snowfall in January 2010, which was not repeated in 2011, and estimate that, exceptional weather aside, underlying growth would have been between one and two per cent.
Last October saw the first positive monthly increase – of 0.9 per cent – since figures started declining on June 2008.
All centres and markets posted positive figures, except “other overflights” (aircraft flying through UK airspace from Asia and Europe to and from Ireland), which shrank by 1.3 per cent.
Airports where NATS provides a service also recorded growth with Aberdeen (10.5 per cent), Glasgow (10.3 per cent) and Gatwick (9.1 per cent) the biggest gainers.
| Jan
2011
|
Jan
2010
|
% gr | |
| UK FLIGHTS | 159,075 | 152,066 | 4.6% |
| CENTRES | |||
| Swanwick | 137,041 | 130,472 | 5.0% |
| Prestwick | 63,754 | 61,877 | 3.0% |
| London Area Control | 130,722 | 123,828 | 5.6% |
| London Terminal Control | 94,187 | 89,785 | 4.9% |
| Manchester Area Control Centre | 32,603 | 31,572 | 3.3% |
| Scottish Area Control Centre | 39,668 | 38,965 | 1.8% |
| Oceanic Area Control Centre (Shanwick) | 30,426 | 29,178 | 4.3% |
| MARKET | |||
| Transatlantic Arrivals/Departures | 9,604 | 9,099 | 5.6% |
| Transatlantic Overflights | 14,517 | 13,523 | 7.4% |
| Other Arrivals/Departures | 96,524 | 91,639 | 5.3% |
| Other Overflights | 7,242 | 7,339 | -1.3% |
| Domestic | 30,879 | 30,213 | 2.2% |