I just heard the story that NATS closed the Bristol / Strumble sector for the whole nightshift last night because an ATCO phoned in with toothache.
Presumably that stopped all Cardiff and Bristol flights overnight and hit the trans Atlantics. There was probably an effect on domestic traffic for the first couple of hours.
Don't forget that NATS told the Transport Select Committee that it had an excess of 60 ATCOs for the opening of Swanwick and the Government promised privatisation would bring a new dynamic private sector management.
Seems like both these statements are "economical with the truth."
