UK air traffic movements in November down 0.5% on 2009
23 December 2010
NATS, the UK’s leading air traffic services provider, today released figures showing a 0.5% decline in air traffic movements in UK airspace in November 2010, compared with November 2009. The total number of flights handled by NATS last month was 158,559; last year the figure for November was 159,428.
This figure was influenced by bad weather conditions at the end of November that caused many airports to be closed and flights cancelled. Industrial action by French air traffic controllers on 6th November caused cancellations and delays to flights to and from France.
The transatlantic picture was more positive, with growth in arrivals and departures of 5.2% while overflights increased by 8.9% on the previous year.
| Nov 2010 | Nov 2009 | % gr | 2010 to Date | 2009 to Date | % gr | |
| UK FLIGHTS | 158,559 | 159,428 | -0.5% | 1,962,001 | 2,045,441 | -4.1% |
| CENTRES | ||||||
| Swanwick | 135,041 | 135,568 | -0.4% | 1,694,500 | 1,765,672 | -4.0% |
| Prestwick | 66,496 | 67,273 | -1.2% | 804,719 | 857,848 | -6.2% |
| London Area Control | 128,066 | 127,668 | 0.3% | 1,615,888 | 1,678,294 | -3.7% |
| London Terminal Control | 92,370 | 94,007 | -1.7% | 1,119,566 | 1,167,019 | -4.1% |
| Manchester Area Control Centre | 33,992 | 35,245 | -3.6% | 422,646 | 456,673 | -7.5% |
| Scottish Area Control Centre | 42,323 | 42,513 | -0.4% | 490,568 | 518,240 | -5.3% |
| Oceanic Area Control Centre (Shanwick) | 30,250 | 27,959 | 8.2% | 358,416 | 361,319 | -0.8% |
| MARKET | ||||||
| Transatlantic Arrivals/Departures | 9,672 | 9,191 | 5.2% | 111,501 | 114,068 | -2.3% |
| Transatlantic Overflights | 14,457 | 13,278 | 8.9% | 172,384 | 173,369 | -0.6% |
| Other Arrivals/Departures | 93,598 | 94,682 | -1.1% | 1,204,032 | 1,251,831 | -3.8% |
| Other Overflights | 6,993 | 7,112 | -1.7% | 90,563 | 99,663 | -9.1% |
| Domestic | 33,482 | 34,854 | -3.9% | 378,179 | 402,395 | -6.0% |
Notes to Editors:
- NATS handled 2.2 million flights in the 2009 calendar year, covering the UK and eastern North Atlantic, and carried more than 200 million passengers safely through some of the busiest and most complex airspace in the world.
- NATS provides air traffic control from its centres at Swanwick, Hampshire and Prestwick, Ayrshire.
- NATS also provides air traffic control services at 15 of the nation’s major airports including Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted, Birmingham, Manchester, Edinburgh and Glasgow, together with air traffic services at Gibraltar Airport.