NATS Prestwick strengthens ties with local leaders at Holyrood event

John Scott, Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP), played host to a ‘NATS in Scotland’ event at Holyrood recently, as NATS Prestwick, which contributes £66m to the Scottish economy every year, showcased the key role the air traffic control centre plays in Scotland’s transport infrastructure.

The event was held to strengthen ties with local leaders and was attended by MSPs, locally elected members and representatives from organisations and institutions NATS works closely with, some travelling from as far afield as Canada and Spain.

Speakers included John Scott MSP, Martin Donnan, Director Prestwick and Juliet Kennedy, Operations Director, NATS, who talked about the specific role that the Prestwick Centre plays in providing air traffic control services in the UK as well as the challenges around airspace capacity and the industry campaign for airspace modernisation. NATS’ links with academia and education in Scotland and the role the Centre has in the community as one of the largest employers in Ayrshire were also key topics.

A number of exhibits displayed the important work being done by NATS at the Prestwick Centre and in the wider aviation industry, with subject matter experts sharing their knowledge on topics such as drones and the latest world-leading introduction of space based surveillance over the North Atlantic.

Guests were treated to a tour of the Scottish Parliament, led by Mr Scott who explained more about the role of MSPs and the unique design of the debating chamber.

He said, “It was a real pleasure to welcome to the Scottish Parliament staff and some of the NATS senior management team, as well as their guests, from all over the UK.

“Engaging with valued local businesses is always important and I hope a worthwhile insight was gained by the NATS team and their guests into the workings of the parliament, as well as by MSP colleagues who learned on the evening about the essential work NATS undertakes to facilitate safe air travel.”

Martin Donnan, Director Prestwick, said, ““We were honoured to be able to co-host this event with John Scott and directly engage with local politicians, businesses and academic leaders. Having strong working relationships with external organisations and links to government are vital for the success of our business and the future of air traffic control.”