[chevvron]

[

UK ATC and the operation of what should be a freely available piece of national infrastructure, the airspace above you, is broken. It’s so broken and fragmented that the biggest ANSP in the country is now operating services in full or in part by utilising at least four different entities that I can think of, never mind all the other providers available. How, within such a structure, can there ever be anything other than a disjointed and disconnected mess?

It’s a joke.

The answer is simple.
Nationalise it.
Oh hang on.....

[chevvron]

Up until about 1980, there were only 2 ANSPs, NATS and the RAF,

Not so. Many local authority airports operated their own ATC, Exeter, Norwich, Castle Donnington for example.

IAL (now SERCO) also had a number of contracts across the UK back then

BEX

I'm talking about back in the '50s; civil public transport airports like Blackbushe, Southampton, St Marys (Scillies) were all 'Ministry of Aviation' or later 'Ministry of Civil Aviation' and controllers were employed by that ministry; not sure but I think IAL only operated overseas in those days.
Smaller civil airports with no P/T operated with 'unlicensed' controllers but I haven't a clue about the legal side of that; certainly when I came to Farnborough (1974) both Blackbushe and Fairoaks operated with radio operators who used ATC phraseology as did Biggin Hill when it was first civilianised.
I read in 'Flying' magazine (US published one) some years ago that a similar system still operates in the USA, with one or two 'private' companies providing ATC (tower only) at some airports instead of FAA Certificated controllers, one of these companies being Barton ATC Inc which I believe is now part of SERCO. The controllers do not hold licenses or FAA Cerificates but 'are trained to the same standard as FAA controllers'.

[Mike Tango]

I read in 'Flying' magazine (US published one) some years ago that a similar system still operates in the USA, with one or two 'private' companies providing ATC (tower only) at some airports instead of FAA Certificated controllers, one of these companies being Barton ATC Inc which I believe is now part of SERCO. The controllers do not hold licenses or FAA Cerificates but 'are trained to the same standard as FAA controllers'.

The contracts for FAA contract towers are made centrally by the FAA, it’s not really the same random mess of each individual airfield doing their own thing as seen in the UK, and the controllers are trained to the same standards and certified in the same manner as their Federally employed counterparts.

FAA Contract Tower Program

There are approximately 1,400 contract controllers, all of whom meet the same qualification and training requirements as FAA air traffic controllers.


A REVIEW OF THE FAA'S CONTRACT TOWER PROGRAM

FAA retains safety oversight of the contract towers, and
the controllers who staff them. All contract controllers are
certified by the FAA. Contract facilities are monitored on a
regular basis by the agency, and staffing plans are approved by
the FAA. Contract controllers are subject to the same rules,
medical exam requirements, operational procedures, and training
as are FAA controllers.

[chevvron]

I read in 'Flying' magazine (US published one) some years ago that a similar system still operates in the USA, with one or two 'private' companies providing ATC (tower only) at some airports instead of FAA Certificated controllers, one of these companies being Barton ATC Inc which I believe is now part of SERCO. The controllers do not hold licenses or FAA Cerificates but 'are trained to the same standard as FAA controllers'.

The contracts for FAA contract towers are made centrally by the FAA, it’s not really the same random mess of each individual airfield doing their own thing as seen in the UK, and the controllers are trained to the same standards and certified in the same manner as their Federally employed counterparts.

FAA Contract Tower Program

There are approximately 1,400 contract controllers, all of whom meet the same qualification and training requirements as FAA air traffic controllers.


A REVIEW OF THE FAA'S CONTRACT TOWER PROGRAM

FAA retains safety oversight of the contract towers, and
the controllers who staff them. All contract controllers are
certified by the FAA. Contract facilities are monitored on a
regular basis by the agency, and staffing plans are approved by
the FAA. Contract controllers are subject to the same rules,
medical exam requirements, operational procedures, and training
as are FAA controllers.

The article I read would have been pre 1982 which is when this programme started.
(Well that's my excuse anyway)

[Mike Tango]

The article I read would have been pre 1982 which is when this programme started.
(Well that's my excuse anyway)

I can barely remember last week, which becomes ever more relevant the longer I've been out of the full time operational ATC loop

[avtur3]

The way I understand the system, the 'new' contractor has to agree to employ all those employed by the 'old' one on equal or better terms (pay, leave and pensions) unless some of those employees do not wish to serve under the new employer.

Pensions are not included under TUPE rules.

Yes, absolutely, pensions are not protected by TUPE, which is often the driver for using TUPE, ask me how I know

This has been exploited by many a company who had previously operated generous defined benefit schemes. When it happened to me the company reckoned that savings on pension alone were close to 20% of payroll costs. Once into the new contract environment all other aspects of remuneration being equal for a couple of years, and then those can be nibbled away at.

[vintage ATCO]

Up until about 1980, there were only 2 ANSPs, NATS and the RAF, but the 'Prohibition of unlicensed controllers' Act and the simultaneous introduction of the FISO License put paid to all that.

Not so. I started at Luton in 1967 (as an ATCA) and became an ATCO in 1971 with a proper licence (MoA or maybe DoT then). I worked for Luton Borough Council. Many other local authority aerodromes employed ATCOs with licences and then there were the manufacturer's aerodromes Hatfield, Radlett, Dunsfold et al, all with ATCOs.

[chevvron]

Up until about 1980, there were only 2 ANSPs, NATS and the RAF, but the 'Prohibition of unlicensed controllers' Act and the simultaneous introduction of the FISO License put paid to all that.

Not so. I started at Luton in 1967 (as an ATCA) and became an ATCO in 1971 with a proper licence (MoA or maybe DoT then). I worked for Luton Borough Council. Many other local authority aerodromes employed ATCOs with licences and then there were the manufacturer's aerodromes Hatfield, Radlett, Dunsfold et al, all with ATCOs.

Yes but Luton operated public transport flights; those airfields which had been MoA after the war (don't know if Luton was one of those, maybe you know) and were 'disposed' of by the Ministry in the '50s/'60s obviously had to have licensed ATCOs in order to operate PT; airfields with no PT seemed to 'get away' with it until the Prohibition of Unlicensed Controllers act came into force.
Lasham operated with what I believe was an unlicensed controller until the early '80s but I'm not sure when manufacturer's aerodromes (which were unlicensed until the '80s) had to have them; well before my time; I started as an ATCA in '69.