Serco's crumbling empire - part 3

[niknak]

A little bird within the Serco Aerospace empire tells me that, as the ATC contract for Wattisham comes up for renewal, said Serco head office bods are in a state of vexed worriment.
It appears that the MOD are seriously considering not bothering with a formal tender and the contract will allegedly, go directly to the RAF.

Middle Wallop and Hawarden will never be so well staffed....:E

[chevvron]

I suppose the next course graduating from Shawbury will be available, but otherwise the RAF are as short of EXPERIENCED controllers as anyone else. As for the SERCO staff displaced, well I'm sure NATS could find a home for them eg Aberdeen.

[niknak]

I'd heard the same about the lack of experienced ATCOs in the RAF.
Wattisham is relatively quiet and closed most weekends, but still requires full manning.
Despite that, the MOD, it seems, are still keen on having the RAF in and SERCO out.

[man friday]

as for dwindling empires, anyone running a book on NATS keeping the Gibraltar contract?

[204red]

Niknak,

You need to stop listening to your little bird within SERCO sing!
Wattisham ATC Apr 08 - Apr 09 SERCO (extension of current contract)
Invitations to tender will go out for a 3 year contract starting Apr 09 with options on rollovers to a 4th and 5th year. RAF wont do it, cant do it, official!

[2.5 miles]

Mmmmmm SERCO out RAF in. Boscombe Down revisited? Seem to remember the RAF were short of staff then, but mysteriously conjured enuf up and used the magic green field validations :O

[JustaFew]

Bit of a difference between what happened at Boscombe Down and what might come to pass at Wattisham.

Airwork were in default from day 1 at Boscombe Down due to insufficient atcos, never mind any validated staff. An Airwork chief banana, RAF-retired, called in some RAF help and the MOD wanted the civvies out; which happened in due course.

SERCO have held the Wattisham ATC contract, compared to Airwork at Boscombe, for longer. A lot longer.

[Me Me Me Me]

as for dwindling empires, anyone running a book on NATS keeping the Gibraltar contract?

Loss-maker, yes.. So you'd think ditch it

But if they did that for all loss-making airport contracts... oooh :eek:

[chevvron]

By the way, don't SERCO still have Cranfield?

[niknak]

Apparently Serco have lost the Nth Denes contract to Marshalls Aerospace, it's said that the guys there were given 5 days to decide if they wanted to stay and work for the new mob, or stay with Serco and waddle around Hook until someone decided what to do with them.

Wattisham (regardless of when contract renewal is due) is firmly within the sights of the Cambridge howitzer...:eek:

[LXGB]

Wattisham (regardless of when contract renewal is due) is firmly within the sights of the Cambridge howitzer...

Nothing new there, it's always been firmly in the sights of the Safeskys (http://www.safeskys.co.uk/page3.htm) air rifle as well! :ugh: ;)

[man friday]

SAFESKY air rifle, they have gone up in the world from the days tricky dicky had Gib in the firing line of his pea shooter!

[airman sam]

not only have they serco lost north denes they have lost the ATE contact at Redhill what next

[chevvron]

They never kept Oxford for long did they? What was it about 2 years?