NATS? Never heard of it.

[eastern wiseguy]

Just been watching the news on SKY. The marquee on screen says that "National Air Traffic Services blah blah blah". Set me thinking as to how much did we shell out on that rebranding....did it work....and was it value for money?

How long have we been called NATS? and should the money have been better employed?

Angry of EGAA:*

[Standard Noise]

Earlier this week, an airport security woman asked me what NATS stands for. 'Er, nothing' says I, 'it's just called NATS.' 'But what does it mean?' 'Nothing.' Security woman is now looking confused, NATS employee walks away looking embarrassed muttering 'lackwit bumpkin feckwittery is about all it stands for.'

Bewildered of Bristol:confused:

[2 sheds]

To be fair, it does not take a great deal to confuse the Security jobsworths at GD.

2 s

[HEATHROW DIRECTOR]

Probably the same cretin who decided to change the meaning of LATCC from London ATC Centre to London Area and Terminal Control Centre!!!!!

[classicwings]

On that subject, is it still incorrect to refer to Swanwick as LATCC, rather it is LACC, despite the fact that Terminal Control have now long settled in there?!

[FlightPathOBN]

In America, its spelled with a 'G'....GNATS....

[P160]

A couple or three years ago a Corporate Comms lady was making a unit visit and overheard me answer the phone.....National Air Traffic Services, how may I help ?

After the phone conversation she mildly "admonished" me stating the company is NATS and not National Air Traffic Services. This got my dander up so I stated that if the company wants to compete in the global market it should have a name that reflects this goal. Eventually after falling for the bait she asked me what could be a possible name suggestion, I replied why not "Trans World Air Traffic Services" ? Off she went to her corporate meeting impressed and asked that could she use this as a possible suggestion ? No problem and the name can easily be abbreviated........she didn't return and I've often wondered if she ever did put two and two together, probably not as these CC types have IQ in single figures.
Tee Hee

[FantomZorbin]

... used to be called National Air Traffic Control Services then, in the early 60's it lost Control :E

[Tigersaw]

so who are this bunch called National Air Traffic Services?
http://www.nats.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/National-AirTraffic-Services-Limited-2010.pdf
with a Mr Deakin as director?

Is NSL National Air Traffic Services Services Limited?

[Tarq57]

@p160,

:D :D :D

[chiglet]

When I joined, it was the MoA... Mistery of Aviaton :ok:

[FlightPathOBN]

"What matters is what something is, not what it is called."

Shakespeare


replied why not "Trans World Air Traffic Services"

****(S)...did she get it?
(first submission redacted) :rolleyes:

[PeltonLevel]

in the early 60's it lost ControlIt was National Air Traffic Control Services from 1963 until the establishment of the CAA in 1972, when the board outside the main entrance to West Drayton was changed from
NATIONAL AIR TRAFFIC
CONTROL SERVICES

to
NATIONAL AIR TRAFFIC
. ... .......SERVICES

[ZOOKER]

In Taxonomy, ´things´are given names so that no doubt exists as to what is being referred to.

[FantomZorbin]

PeltonLevel

Ooops! there goes another brain cell! Thanks for the correction!:O

[Standard Noise]

2 sheds - ain't that the sad truth!

P160 - careful now, last time I annoyed the poor wee lambs at the Ministry of Bullsh!t I got a hammering from my GM. Their thick as pigsh!t mindset goes hand in hand with a skin so thin a sausage would be proud of it.

[ZOOKER]

Chiglet,

what ever happened to.....

watp-iktch?

[45 before POL]

"so who are this bunch called National Air Traffic Services?
http://www.nats.co.uk/wp-content/upl...mited-2010.pdf
with a Mr Deakin as director?"

Tigersaw...the name is still registered as you will see by the accounts £1 balance sheet. Effectively to stop anyone else using the name.

As for the rebranding??? to this day it still grates me as a total waste of money....which lined a former execs wifes company accounts....hmm I'm not implying anything but were they the best for the job or does nepotism slip in here?

[ZOOKER]

They must be good, allegedly they did the 2012 Olympic logo. :E

[Nautilus Blue]

In Taxonomy, ´things´are given names so that no doubt exists as to what is being referred to.
In Management and Politics, 'things' are given names so no one knows exactly what is being referred to, but it sounds good.

[radarman]

Nautilus,

Wrong! NATS doesn't sound good. It's a puny, insignificant excuse for an acronym. No better than NITS or NUTS. I was embarrassed to tell non-aviation folk that I worked for NATS.

[Nautilus Blue]

Good point. I guess the military would have called it NatAirTraffSys, marketing people would have come up with something like Globodynamosynergesticinterproactally Inc.

[On the beach]

If you work in Gibraltar, NATS means "No Arrivals 'Til Saturday" :O

[CADF]

Nice use of the oxymoron.

[aerotech07]

I recently had the misfortune to lose my debit card. So, as anyone would, I called by bank to inform them. As part of the security measures, I had to give the usual DOB, address, postcode etc, and then:

Bank: "And finally, can you tell me who pays into this account regularly"
Me: "Yes, NATS"
<followed by a short silence>
Bank: "errrrm, ok, is that your employer?"
Me: "Yes"
Bank: "Is there any other name they might go by, that doesn't quite match"
Me: "errm, maybe NSL?"
Bank: "yes, thats fine, that matches".

Well, I felt like a right pleb, don't even know who i work for! :ugh:

[ZOOKER]

I see that a company also called NSL is involved in the issue of parking tickets, (including one issued recently to a toy bus). :}
This company allegedly provides "Intelligent Urban Management Solutions" :E
So be careful when you tell someone you work for NSL.

[BuzzLightyear]

And I always thought that NATS was Nissan Anti Theft System....well that's what it said on the window of mine...

[PH-UKU]

Surely it should have been .... Brainy Urban Management Solutions ?