I heard a rumour today that the approach control function presently done procedurely at Inverness, (with a little help from down the road
), is moving to become an approach radar service, done by NATS at Aberdeen.
I was also told that when there is no longer a requirement for Norwich Radar to have a console at Coltishall, (when Coltishall either closes or the traffic is at a dribble), Norwich Radar may also be relocated to Aberdeen.
It appears that a watch manager at Aberdeen is already doing a feasability study to that effect, and if NATS could get their sums right, it would make commercial common sense for Norwich Airport/Omniport Ltd - no expensive radar to maintain, no expensive data link for the SSR from Cromer to Norwich to pay for, reduced employers costs and in time, fewer atco's.
I don't know if the study entails NATS taking on the entire ATC contract at Norwich, or just the remote approach radar function at Aberdeen, or the timescale, but it appears to slot in nicely with the closure of Coltishall, which always was the stumbling block for any similar proposal.