rodan

I've just noticed a slew of ATC jobs at Birmingham on Flight Global: ATCO; SATCO; ATSE; SATSE.

Have NATS lost the Brum contract?

Andy Mayes

Interesting.

I'm pretty sure NATS HR usually does the hiring and firing for all their contracts.

What's going on I wonder?

Cuddles

Sabre rattling perchance. When's the contract up?

Barnaby the Bear

They are advertising for SATCO, ATCO's, ATCA's, Engineers the lot.
The wording suggests they are going to gauge the response, perhaps prior to renegotiations with NATS?

LXGB

I wonder what they're paying. Adverts don't include salary details as often as they used to.

Standard Noise

Rumour has it the SATCO post may have been filled.........

TCAS FAN

........by an ex CAA Central Region ATS Inspector?

NDW

Does anyone know what the ATCA requirements would be for Birmingham? Presumably the same as any other ATCA position?

Cheers

HoneyBunny

Tcas fan...you're half correct.The person referred too has been employed by the airport to oversee the process of testing the market as the atc contract is soon up I believe.As well as asking the established providers,the airport are also considering in house atc.(if that option is a few quid cheaper,they'll do it!).

Spitoon

Now there's a frightening thought! Just out of interest does anyone want to name the name?

Charlie23

The airport love NATS but not the price!! Hell of a risk to the airport if they go it alone but money talks! I think NATS will keep the contract but the price will have to be good. The new tower and runway extension make NATS the best solution imho. !

chevvron

I tend to agree; whatever others may claim, NATS produces the best controllers, but they do tend to try to make excessive profits on their airport contracts.

2 sheds

That is fairly dismissive of the others, n'est-ce pas?

2 s

HoneyBunny

I,m not sure,but if NATS have the contract to fit out the new ATC facility,then that may sway it for them.But they may have to do a deal with the airport to get to run it.

Barnaby the Bear

- Poppycock

Regarding Birmingham leaving NATS, they would either have to employ another ANSP or go it alone, the later not that simple or cheap.

loubylou

Won't the current staff be TUP'd (sp?) across to the new ANSP?

Louby

JustaFew

If another ANSP is selected AND staff elect to continue with their posts, yes.

slowclimber

Why? Would all other qualified UK ATCOs struggle with a new tower AND a runway extension?

It's about time that ATC positions at the busier UK airports became available to those of us who don't already work for NATS. Ab initio trainees get far more of a chance than qualified and experienced non-NATS ATCOs at the moment.

So NATS people keep saying, but it's not what I've found...

TCAS FAN

Chevvron

From what I last saw NSL (ie airports) is not making a lot of money, hence the periodic rumour of NATS selling off NSL.

As for producing the best controllers, would tend to agree in general but they need to operate as a team, something that I understand Birmingham has recently had serious problems with, resulting in a breakdown of Team Resource Management and NSL interevention to attempt resolution.

whitelighter

NSL making money or not certainly depends on which aerodrome you are talking about.

Some contracts make healthy profits. Also NSL handle some of the overseas work