antilla
part of 'the deal' when privatised was that NATS was to be run as a 'not for profits' company (though how this ties in with shareholders I do not know).
The fact of the matter is, NATS had over £600 million debt passed on from the governement. It made 'profits' last year of around £60 million. So with loans etc and interest, how long is it going to take to repay that debt?
Coupled with the fact that to keep up with air traffic numbers, NATS has to invest in future systems etc, therefore incurring more cost.
So a question back at you antilla - if this growth (non NATS attributable) is going to happen (at the benefit of the governement thru taxes, the airlines thru revenue); how can it happen without the so called altruistic motives of NATS in redeveloping airspace?
If the airspace is not redeveloped, we cannot cope with the predicted numbers - fact.
The numbers are rising and will continue to do so unless governement and airlines put a stop to it - fact.
If NATS do not develop an infrastructure that can cope with this, then
NATS will wither and die, and be sold to soemone else (most likely a foreign investor, on a for profit basis)
NATS will make a profit from overflight increase (if you look at the money it makes though, it's not a huge amount); but this money will mainly need to be re invested. Swanwick, nice, shiny and fairly new, will need replacing with newer systems....... work has to commence now to make sure those systems are in place in a timely manner.
So altruistic maybe - but only because if the company is run in the manner it should be as agreed when flogged off to bolster governement coffers, it needs to make money to develop.
It's not a one off job - NATS cannot design a system then walk away and reap dividends evermore... of only it were that simple!!
The other option is to let things stand as they are, then watch as the UKs economy falters.
The Governement are not entirely stupid - the amount of money that is produced through the air industry is vast, coupled with taxes through flight supplements etc, the Governement know that the country would go to rats if this infrastructure was not developed and maintianed!