Annual Report & Accounts 2016

Deployment of Time-Based Separation (TBS) at Heathrow last year was a world first, and has improved landing rates at Heathrow airport on the windiest days, fundamentally changing the management of airport approach. TBS has won several industry awards in the past year.

We developed the transition sequence for deploying and integrating SESAR technology, achieving the first milestone by moving the Swanwick area control and military operations into a temporary operations room while we refit the main operations room. The second major milestone was achieved with iTEC entering limited operational service for Scottish upper airspace.

We have clear strategic objectives:

• deliver a safe, efficient and reliable service every day from our air traffic control centres and airport towers
• transform the business through the integration and deployment of Single European Sky ATM Research programme (SESAR) technologies
• win and retain commercial UK business and explore sound international opportunities

The first phase of change to modernise the UK’s airspace was implemented in February to support operations at London City Airport, introducing an innovative new concept for holding arriving aircraft over the sea rather than over land.