National Air Traffic Services

National Air Traffic Services Ltd. (NATS) is the United Kingdom's main air traffic control service provider. It was partly privatised in 2001 by the ruling Labour Party, despite a large backbench rebellion.

NATS is a Public-Private Partnership (PPP), with the government holding a 49% majority share. The Airline Group, a consortium of Airtours, British Airways, bmi British Midland, Britannia, easyJet, Virgin Atlantic, and Monarch, holds 42%. The remaining shares are owned by BAA plc (4%)and NATS staff (5%.)

It is split into two main service provision companies, NATS En-Route Ltd. (NERL) and NATS Services Ltd. (NSL). NERL is regulated by the United Kingdom Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) which, in simple terms, means that it has to seek approval from the CAA for any changes to its charging structure. NSL, the unregulated side of the business, provides Air Traffic Services (ATS) under contract at all of the UK BAA owned airports (Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted, Southampton, Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Glasgow) and several other non-BAA airports (including London City, Cardiff, Birmingham, Manchester & Belfast).

The two main skill sets employed in NATS are Air Traffic Controllers (ATCOs) and Air Traffic Engineers (ATEs).

On June 3 2004 NATS was forced to apologise for widespread disruption in the UK and European continent caused by the temporary loss of an air traffic control computer.