International Training

NATS has over 70 years’ experience training air traffic control professionals for some of the world’s busiest airports and en route centres.

Our air traffic controller and engineering courses are delivered alongside our international partners in India, Hong Kong and Spain using an all-encompassing blend of learning techniques developed in conjunction with our in-house Human Factors and Training Design experts.

Wherever you are in the world, together we can offer a range of courses to suit air traffic control professionals at every stage of their careers, including engineers and safety managers, all of whom can look forward to a first-class learning experience, that includes:

• Highly advanced facilities equipped with the latest training equipment
• Simulation training capable of emulating ultra-realistic operational environments
• Quality training programmes approved by local regulators and International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO)
• A mixture of theory-based, practical and remote training for where travel is difficult and face to face training is non-essential

As the industry rebounds from the Covid crisis, now is the time to ensure you have the highly skilled air traffic control professionals you will need to stay competitive as we return to growth.

As an Air Navigation Service Provider to some of the busiest airports and airspace in the world NATS takes training very seriously. The same world-class courses that we deliver to our own controllers is now available to you through our international partners.

Together, we can deliver a wide variety of training courses designed around individual, cultural and operational needs, including the full suite of ab initio training, refresher training for valid air traffic controllers, specialist HIRO training and a range of engineering and Human Factors courses.

Based on an ethos of continuous improvement, our experienced training design team constantly look to enhance and develop our training materials to ensure what we offer remains at the leading edge of the industry and gets the very most out of our students. To do this, we use a mix of award winning online, remote, simulator and face-to-face training methods to suit your needs and exceed your expectations.

NATS works with some of the leading training providers around the world to ensure that wherever you’re based, high-quality, industry leading expertise is available. Get in touch with any of our partners direct to discuss your training and development needs.

Hong Kong International Aviation Academy

The brand new, highly advanced Hong Kong International Aviation Academy has capacity to take 24 students for ab initio or rating courses at a time. Alternatively, it can be configured for 12 existing controllers to go through elite HIRO training, preparing them to safely manage the world’s most demanding airport environments.

GMR Aviation Academy, India

Our network of partners is growing with the inclusion of the GMR Aviation Academy (GMRAA), India. GMRAA will soon be delivering NATS quality training materials using cost effective local resource from their base at the GMR Aviation Academy in Hyderabad.

FTE, Jerez, Spain

Our first training partnership was established in 2013 with FTE Jerez in Southern Spain. This successful relationship has grown from small beginnings and now houses eight radar simulators, two single seat tower simulators and a dual seat tower simulator all based on the industry benchmark NATS Ace simulator system.

NATS Air Traffic Control College, Hampshire, UK

Our custom-built training college is set within our head offices on the south coast of England. Almost all NATS air traffic controllers pass through the college, taking advantage of a suite of advanced aerodrome and radar simulators alongside outstanding teaching led by experienced, and in many cases, still valid air traffic controllers and engineers.

Training Design

Our dedicated Training Design team are continuously improving our courses in line with the most innovative learning technologies to meet the demands of modern learners. This includes an online portal with interactive theory material and ATC Skills Trainers to help teach and hone vital ATC skills ahead of practical simulations. We will soon be launching Adaptive Learning Environments for the most efficient student led learning.

Pre-learning elements

To deliver the required learning as efficiently as possible many of our courses include an element of pre-learning to help familiarise students with the basic air traffic control knowledge before instructor-led training in the classroom and simulator commences.

Practical simulator training

As well as world-leading classroom teaching, depending on your chosen location, attendees can hone their skills on the ground-breaking NATS Ace Simulator – a uniquely flexible and highly scalable air traffic control simulator incorporating many technically advanced components including Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP), video capture, speech recognition and trajectory prediction tools.

Practical training on simulators is introduced as early as possible and includes immediate feedback and the opportunity for students to understand what they did well and learn from their mistakes in a supportive environment. Practical training in the simulator covers a wide scope of realistic exercises within a structured timetable, with increasing traffic levels and complexity as the course progresses.

With the combination of expert teams, superb facilities, modern courseware, and advanced simulations in a location that best suits you, we have the flexibility to create bespoke courses to suit individual objectives.