SubscribeThe biggest change in 50 years to Air Traffic Control (ATC) at the world’s busiest international airport takes place this weekend when operations switch to the new control tower at Heathrow.
Switchover is timed for 0200 on Saturday morning (April 21) when the airport is at its quietest. Heathrow is the most intensively used airport in the world, with up to 90 arrivals and departures an hour during the operating day, 365 days a year.
The move brings with it a switch to new systems and ways of working which have meant an additional challenge for NATS' 60 Heathrow controllers. Planning for the transition has been under way for more than two years; training for the controllers, helped by a custom-built £1.5m simulator, has been ongoing for more than a year and each Watch has "shadowed" the live operation from the new Tower to help with familiarisation.
Brandon Chapman, director of NATS' airports business, said: "Our controllers have been simultaneously operating on one set of systems and training on an entirely new set, and it's a tribute to their professionalism that they have been able to do this without any interruption to service over the past year.
"The new tower is a major change in the way we work and a fantastic facility; it will serve Heathrow well into the future and provide an air traffic control platform for decades to come."
ATC support staff have already moved to the 87-metre landmark tower, which is key to the successful introduction of Terminal 5 scheduled for March 2008. It will ensure air traffic controllers remain at the geographic heart of the airfield with an unrivalled 360˚ view.
It also means re-orienting themselves to a different perspective of the airfield, and having time to reinforce their familiarity with the geography. This means that for the first few days, operations will be slowed slightly to maintain safety, and there may be some delays as a result.
Martyn Jeffery, General Manager NATS Heathrow, said: "We are reducing the number of landings while our controllers familiarise themselves with the new tower, so that they have less traffic to deal with than is normally the case.
"I'm confident they will quickly build familiarity. Nonetheless, at an airport used as intensively as Heathrow, this means it is possible there will be some delays to flights although we are working very closely with BAA, and with British Airways, BMI and other airlines, to make sure any delay is minimal.
"I know the general public will recognise that their safety is at the heart of all our planning. We have a record at Heathrow for safe and punctual service, and we intend to maintain that record through the biggest ATC milestone the airport has ever seen.
"We have a dedicated and utterly professional team of controllers, assistants, engineers and support staff who are all completely committed to a smooth and successful transition."
Airport operator BAA said passengers should not assume their flight will be delayed and must check in at the time advertised on their booking.
Tim Hardy, Deputy Director Airside Operations, said: "The new Heathrow tower is iconic, a masterpiece of design and technical excellence. We are proud to have worked on such an exciting project. Through teamwork and excellence in design and engineering we've overcome many challenges, not least the challenge of constructing a tower in the middle of one of the world's busiest airports.
Mr Hardy added: "From construction, through to forthcoming operation, it marks the first milestone in Heathrow's transformation and will pave the way for the introduction of Terminal 5 next year, on time and to budget"
