Is it just me, or do the airlines put far too much pressure on NATS to cut costs ?
When you have at least a four year lead-in for someone 'off the street' to validation you CANNOT run a system with no 'fat'.
As airlines have become much more business minded over the last twenty years (through privitisation and increased competition) they have put more and more pressure on NATS to cut costs.
I remember doing a course with BA ten years ago and all presentations from management included the phrase '..of course the uk has the highest ATC charges in europe' , yet there was no reference to the price formula coupled with a relatively small amount of (extremely complex)airspace which made this so.
Ryanair's recent press release and letter to the minister for transport about NATS service standards showed the same ignorance of the problems facing NATS when it comes to charging.
The cost of air traffic services to airlines, I'm sure, pales in to insignificance when compared to airspace closures, reduced landing rates,etc and the fuel burn, delays and diversions these cost.
By having a fully functioning ATC system, the airlines can save far more money than they ever spend on route charges.