Air Traffic Service Providers - UK
 

Can anybody tell me who, other than NATS provide Air Traffic Services around the UK and if any of these take on trainees?

Thanks in advance!:ok:

serco had a few uk contracts, they used to be quite good for taking satff on ab initio as assistants and then training them up.

might be worth checking out their website and dropping an email

other than that there are few smaller regional airports operated by local authorities, again there might be the potential to start as an atsa and work your way up from there.

good luck
mf

Serco only have a few ATC contracts these days:
Scatsta, Hawarden, Cranfield, Middle Wallop, Battersea Heliport and Wattisham (the contract is up for renewal at the moment and they're not front runners to retain it).

Most non Nats regional airports are run by independant airport companies set up specifically to relieve local ratepayers of the expense, the local authority usually retains a minority shareholding in the airport whilst the operating company takes on the running and a proportion of the profit (or loss) equivilant to their shareholding.
There are one or two regional airports which have a bigger council involvemennt.

British Aerospace provide their own ATCOs at most of their airfields except I think, at Hawarden.

Peel Holdings own and operate Liverpool, Teeside (Durham Tees Valley) and Doncaster Robin Hood Airports.

Highlands and Islands Airports own and operate the majority of non NATS airports in Scotland.

Marshall Aerospace own and operate Cambridge Airport, they also have the ATC Contract at North Denes.

VT (Vosper Thornycroft) have the ATC contracts at Wyton and Woodvale.

No doubt I've missed someone, but when you do your own in depth research, you'll find out who they are.

Anyone know the provider of Prestwick?

Cheers Dee,

I've never had the same feeling of assurance when I fly to Prestwick than that of Glasgow since the ATC seems to be internally provided. Really strange. :ouch:

That's an interesting thing to say. Care to expound?

Please expand on that one.... I bet the controllers at Prestwick would love to know why?
Infratil are a large company that run (in the UK) Manston as well.
They also have Lubeck, Wellington NZ etc.

Back to the original thread:-

Bournemouth, East Midlands and Humberside = Manchester Airport Group
Biggin Hill and Southend (up for sale) = Regional Airports Limited
Newquay (soon to be civil) = I believe local authority.
Blackpool and Exeter = Balfour Beaty

:8

I don't know why, I've always just believed NATS to have better working conditions but I'm sure those over at Infratil would be paid a bit more?

You will probably find non NATS paid less. And by quite a bit once you take into account pensions and other perks. :rolleyes:
Every ATCO bar one or two I have ever met see what they do as more than just a job, as do most pilots. Whether NATS or Non NATS, and whatever the equipment being used. If you are flying in UK airspace you are in arguably one of the safest in the world. :ok:

Back again the original thread:-

Alot of the Non NATS airports are training ATCA's from scratch in order to fulfil the current and furture ATCO shortages.
Write to, or telephone the airports you are interested in and see whats on offer.
Alot will advertise ATCA/trainee ATCO positions on their websites as well.

The Royal Air Force?:ok:

Thanks for all of the replies.

Didn't even know where to begin. I did look at the RAF but I couldnt find out much information about the training involved. When it comes to training, does anybody know if you have to go through the physical training you'd associate with the RAF?

If anybody has any further options, please let me know.

Thanks again!

Ho Hum,

I point out every so often that the Royal Navy also has Air Traffic Controllers..... see here

Air Traffic Control Officer : Air Operations Support : Careers/Roles : Careers : Royal Navy

Best rgds
BEX :ok:

RE: The physical training... Of course you are military first, ATCO second... If you go to the careers office (RAF and Navy :ok:) They will explain whats involved.

Manch, ATC provided by NATS. EMA and Humberside, Local Authority, Bournemoth, not sure
watp,iktch

Bournemouth is part of the MAG group. As is Humberside and East Midlands. If you go by their websites you will find any ATC recruitment that they may have. Yes Manchester Airport ATC is operated by NATS. But I didn't mention them for that reason. :}

Non-NATS Airports down south
 

Down south there are a few airports which are independently run and that occassionally take on 'ab initios'.

As mentioned previously, Manston is run by the Infratil group so the Kent International Airport website would be the one to go to.

Lydd (London Ashford...) is run privately and has previously taken on several ATSA/FISO's and trained them up, provided they were willing to be 'bonded' to the company for a period of time.

Shoreham is also privately run, and whilst it was having a difficult time earlier in the year, it is so busy it is unlikely to close.

All websites worth having a look at

Hope that helps - Britkit

Just to clarify Britkits post re Shoreham.

It wasn't Shoreham Airport which was having a tough time, but the holding company which owned Shoreham Airport Ltd - Erinicous Holdings.

Erinicous (sorry if I spelt it wrongly) was run by people who managed to attract considerable interest from the "Guys in suits" from the serious fraud office earlier in 2008 and subsequently the whole company was put into administration.

Fortunately the Liquidator recognised the value of Shoreham as an established G/A airport and managed to reopen it within a couple of days of the holding company going wobbly and subsequently sold it.

Shoreham has an extremely admirable record of training up it's own staff to become ATCOs and it's an interesting airport to work at.