New Year Musing
The speculation about NATS, MUAC and DFS, Skyguide and now Reims is interesting.
I offer the following thoughts per my earlier posts, first for NATS, as I suggested before, look to Toulouse not Langen for a prospect with real legs.
For MUAC, I agree with ATC watcher, my bet is some kind of multinational FABEC derived solution probably DFS/LVNL is the most probable, and to be concluded in the latter part of 2012. Not Eurocontrol in any form.
For anything French expect more very public scrutiny and pressure on controller pay and conditions, before any significant changes. This worked for the employers in Ireland and Spain. Mainly for this reason therefore, I dont expect to see any FABEC consolidation in France for some time.. 2- 3 years perhaps longer.
Skyguide is harder to judge, but consolidation is likely, most probable on the German side, because France will be too slow (see above) for the Swiss, who want to move quickly. France will lose out as a result.
Elsewhere as I have said before, there is increasing indication that outsourcing of towers and training by the less efficient ANSP will be used to cut costs. In other words the less efficient ANSP will shrink quite quickly.
Expect new entrants over the next year or so, in the ATC service business as a result, in the airline world easyjet came out of nowhere to change the European scene and to dominate a large market. A similar step change for ATC is increasingly likely.
Very interesting times
Katie