Welcome to the world of a commercial company running the ATC system where the regulator fines the provider if delays go above a certain level and managers' bonuses also depend on few ATC delays.
This is the way it is now in NATS. The operational ATCOs are encouraged to shift as much traffic as possible and restrictions are only put on as an absolute last resort. Yes the new system at Swanwick allows us to handle far more traffic than we could at West Drayton with few,if any,more staff. I have every sympathy with you not being able to get in on the frequency and I often find myself "calling" the traffic onto the frequency. There is no doubt that this problem will not be going away soon as the alternative is that traffic is restricted and hence delays will occur-not good for the operators and certainly not for those bonuses.
