UK controllers flying high for record 24 hours

Start of summer season sees 8,800 planes handled

Air traffic controllers yesterday dealt with the busiest day in UK aviation history.

A total of 8,800 planes were handled by controllers across the country over 24 hours, at the start of a summer season which is due to see a record 770,000 flights in UK airspace – 40,000 more than last year.

The chief executive of the National Air Traffic Service, Martin Rolfe, warned that Britain’s air routes are “exceptionally crowded” and numbers of flights are reaching the limit of what can be accommodated.

A Government consultation could result in changes to permitted routes to allow more flights, he said, and the system could be updated to take advantage of the ability of modern jets to fly further and take steeper approaches to airports, to maximise the use of available space while minimising noise disruption and pollution on the ground.

The record day came as the Government launched its proposed aviation strategy for the years to 2050, in which ministers say they are “minded to be supportive” of airports that want to make “better use” of existing capacity.

Mr Rolfe said the busy day at airports has not taken controllers by surprise.

“We start more than a year in advance planning where the aircraft are going to be, looking at the schedules, working with the airlines and working with air traffic controllers to make sure we have a plan we can execute safely,” he told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.

“We are approaching the limit of what the skies can handle with the airspace we have in place. The routes we currently have in place are becoming exceptionally crowded, and on the busiest days we sometimes have to reroute aircraft to make sure we can get everybody to their destinations on time.”

Mr Rolfe said the Government has consulted over the past couple of years on how to handle Britain’s future airspace needs, taking into account issues like noise, capacity and fuel use.

Proposals included in the Government’s aviation strategy include doorstep luggage collection services and town centre check-in desks for passengers flying from British airports.

The scheme would allow travellers to have bags collected from their homes or to drop them at a depot in advance and pick up boarding cards before making their way to the airport, saving space on commuter trains taken up by luggage.

A record 770,000 flights took place in UK airspace.