The vital role of the National Air Traffic Service (NATS)’s control centre in Swanwick and the work of its staff there were recognised at a recent event in Parliament.
I was delighted to host a reception in the Churchill Room of the House of Commons, which was attended by Aviation Minister Robert Goodwill MP and NATS Chief Executive Martin Wolfe.
NATS is responsible for managing the airspace over the UK and eastern Atlantic, handling over 2.2 million flights per year. They operate from two air traffic control centres – one in Prestwick, Scotland, and the other in Swanwick in Fareham, which employs around 1,400 people. It is the invisible infrastructure.
The Swanwick centre is thought to be unique in the world in accommodating both civil and military air traffic management, working together in a ‘Joint and Integrated Model.’
It was a privilege to hold an event in Parliament to pay tribute to the vitally important work that NATS does. They are a highly valued local employer, and an integral part of our local community in Fareham– but their reach goes much wider than that. The work they do is of national significance, and we all owe a huge debt of gratitude for keeping our airspace safe and properly managed.
Martin Rolfe, NATS Chief Executive Officer said:
‘We are extremely grateful to Suella for sponsoring our event in Parliament. It provided us a great opportunity to talk to Parliamentarians about the importance of a critical but invisible part of UK infrastructure, our airspace, and the need to modernise it so that the travelling public can fly without delays or cancellations.
‘Suella is a great ambassador for our region and a fantastic supporter of NATS and we are delighted to have her as one of our local MPs.’