Date : Friday 24th September 2004

The UK Guild of Air Traffic Control Officers (GATCO) is concerned about the growing number of airlines that are either planning or have commenced flights from UK airports which previously, had few or no public transport ’airline’ flights. These airports lack the protection of ‘controlled airspace’ in which all flights are known to air traffic controllers and so are under their positive control. 

GATCO has very serious concerns and questions the apparent lack of safety oversight by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).

‘Hotspots’ include:

• Kent International Airport (Manston) announced plans for a new airline, EUjet, set up by a former chief executive of Ryanair. EUjet plans to fly to 21 destinations from Manston using seven Fokker 100s and aims to carry 500,000 passengers in its first year. 
• Coventry (West Midlands) Airport and the launch of flights by start-up no-frills carrier Thomsonfly, which started flying to 11 European destinations from Coventry in March. The airline expects to carry 500,000 passengers in its first year. 
• Birmingham Airport, where bmibaby has recently announced its intention to serve up to 20 destinations from this Midlands airport, which has no ‘controlled airspace’ linking either Birmingham or nearby Coventry Airport with the UK national airways system to the southwest in the direction of Brecon in South Wales. 
• Doncaster/Finningley (‘Robin Hood’) Airport where Thomsonfly plans to serve 17 destinations, whilst the airport’s owners Peel Airports have also negotiated with several holiday companies to begin charter flights next year. 

GATCO wish to correct recent press reports which have identified ‘Budget’ airlines. Our concerns are applicable regardless of the type of airline
In particular, with regards to Birmingham Airport and the new routes to be flown by bmibaby, almost all airspace is controlled airspace and this is the airspace bmibaby will use. The Brecon route will only be used in exceptional circumstances.

GATCO has previously raised concerns about what it perceives to be an unacceptably heightened collision risk to public transport airline flights operating outside controlled airspace and does not agree with the CAA Directorate of Airspace Policy's (DAP) assertion that the provision of air traffic control Radar Advisory Service (RAS) or Radar Information Service (RIS) delivers the necessary Target Levels of Safety (TLS). 

GATCO points out that most airliners cannot be manoeuvred sufficiently quickly to avoid unexpected conflicting flights such as can arise in uncontrolled airspace. 

GATCO believes a significant increase in flights resulting from the expansion plans of several airline operators at airports where there is no controlled airspace, or where existing controlled airspace is judged to be less than totally adequate, statistically will result in an increased risk of safety-related incidents.

GATCO calls for a comprehensive review by a respected and independent organisation such as the new Irish Aviation Authority-CSE ATM Partnership, or Cranfield University’s Air Transport Group.