Effective air traffic management critical for efficient and sustainable aviation growth, say speakers at Global Aerospace Summit

16 April, 2012 - Abu Dhabi, UAE: NATS, a global leader in air traffic services and solutions, today participated in the inaugural Global Aerospace Summit in Abu Dhabi, UAE, to discuss the pivotal role air traffic management must play in shaping the future of the aerospace, aviation and space sectors.

"This summit marks the growing importance of the Gulf Region to the international aviation industry.  NATS is proud to participate in such an influential dialogue at this critical juncture in managing the rapid expansion of air traffic movements in the Middle East.  Particularly here in UAE, where the forecast growth in aircraft movements is prompting serious consideration of how airspace can facilitate expansion," said Paul Reid, NATS Services Managing Director.

"As domestic and international air travel increases across the region, now is the time for countries to implement effective, efficient air traffic management systems to ensure this growth occurs in a safe, environmentally responsible and sustainable manner."

At the summit, Senior Executives from NATS will speak on panels covering:

  • Investing in Airport Capacity While Keeping Customers Satisfied,

  • Regulation, Profitability and Sustainability: how the environment, fuel prices and legislation impact airlines, and

  • Ensuring Safety in the Skies

NATS has worked with Oman, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain and UAE to support the safety efficiency and environmental performance of their airspace and has recently appointed John Swift as Director, NATS Middle East, to establish a permanent presence in the region.  Demonstrating NATS' strong commitment to the region, John will be based in Abu Dhabi and responsible for developing the current and future Middle East activities into a significant, sustainable business.

"With the rapid growth of aviation driving economic growth in the Gulf Region, an optimised ATC network is vital to keep pace with the speed of development," said John.  "As airlines, airports and governments are taking bold steps to future-proof their airspace, we believe that NATS is the right partner to support this progress."

-Ends-

About NATS 
NATS is the UK's major provider of Air Traffic Management (ATM) services, handling nearly 2.2 million flights in 2011, covering the UK and eastern North Atlantic.

NATS provides UK en route air traffic control from centres at Swanwick, England and Prestwick, Scotland.

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.

NATS was the first ATM provider in the world to set an environmental target to reduce CO2 emissions for aircraft under its control by an average 10% per flight by 2020.

NATS is also the first ATM provider to develop and implement an environmental measure as part of its regulatory framework.

NATS has tested the "perfect flight" in which every element of the journey - from pushback, taxi and continuous climb to an optimised flight profile and continuous descent approach - was calibrated to achieve minimal emissions and delay, saving around 11% of the normal fuel burn.

The UK/Ireland Functional Airspace Block, established in 2008 as part of the Single European Sky initiative, has already delivered more than €43m in fuel savings and expects to deliver savings in terms of fuel burn and delay reduction exceeding €300 million by 2020

For more information, please contact:
Taylor Samuelson
NATS Press Office
Direct: +44 1489 445616
Mobile: +44 7825 364490
Email: taylor.samuelson@nats.co.uk

Mustafa Al-Sheikhly
Account Director
Four Communications Group
Mobile: +971 (0) 55 985 3370
Email: mustafa.al-sheikhly@fourcommunications.com

© Press Release 2012