NATS air traffic control operations at Swanwick and Heathrow Airport will be in the spotlight in a new live BBC Two television show next month.
The work of air traffic controllers at NATS – which has its headquarters in Whiteley – will feature in the Heathrow Airport control tower for Airport Live presented by Dan Snow.
Airport Live will feature NATS air traffic controllers at Swanwick and at Heathrow Airport
The programme will have a significant focus on the work of the air traffic controllers who manage around 1,400 aircraft movements each day.
The BBC has been given unrivalled access behind the scenes throughout the airport, including access to the heart of the operation in the visual control room of the tower.
Dan Snow said: “Air travel has become an everyday luxury that we take for granted, but behind the scenes it’s a fascinating web of processes all precisely managed to maintain equilibrium.
“Over four nights we’ll get the chance to see how it all works. We’ll take a look at the complex choreography of air traffic control, learn to fly the world’s largest passenger jet, the A380, and discover how weather plays a crucial role in keeping the whole operation running smoothly. Airport Live will be a thrilling journey through the skies and a definitive account of modern air travel.”
NATS’ General Manager at Heathrow Jon Proudlove said: “The work of the NATS air traffic controllers at Heathrow is crucial to the efficient running of the airport, ensuring that the runways that we have are used to their maximum capacity safely every day.
“This programme will show some of the challenges we face and the technology that we use to ensure we get the very most we can from what is available.”
Presenters Dallas Campbell and Anita Rani will also be airside during the programme getting to grips with the science, engineering and logistics that make air travel at one of the world’s busiest airports possible.
The programme is due to aired between 8pm and 9pm each evening from June 17 to 20.