This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/dec/15/uk-air-traffic-chaos-nats

The article has changed 2 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 0 Version 1
UK air traffic chaos not caused by underinvestment, says Nats UK air traffic chaos not caused by underinvestment, says Nats
(about 2 hours later)
Nats, the UK’s air traffic controller, has rejected claims that underinvestment has left it reliant on creaking computer systems, as an independent inquiry was launched into the failure that disrupted hundreds of flights on Friday.Nats, the UK’s air traffic controller, has rejected claims that underinvestment has left it reliant on creaking computer systems, as an independent inquiry was launched into the failure that disrupted hundreds of flights on Friday.
The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) is to appoint a panel to examine the causes of the incident – which restricted airspace and led to departing flights being grounded at London airports for almost an hour, as well as Nats’s reaction – and whether controllers had learned lessons from an incident in December 2013. The Civil Aviation Authority is to appoint a panel to examine the causes of the incident – which restricted airspace and led to departing flights being grounded at London airports for almost an hour, as well as Nats’s reaction – and whether controllers had learned lessons from an incident in December 2013.
Nats admitted the problem lay in code written in the early 1990s. On Sunday, the business secretary, Vince Cable, berated the air traffic service, accusing it of having skimped on spending and relying upon “very ancient computer systems which then crash”. Nats is partially owned by the government. Nats admitted the problem lay in code written in the early 1990s. On Sunday the business secretary, Vince Cable, berated the air traffic service, accusing it of having skimped on spending and relying upon “very ancient computer systems which then crash”. Nats is partially owned by the government.
Its chief executive, Richard Deakin, said additional spending would not have solved the problem: “Over the next five years we are spending around £575m on new systems. We have the funding that we need to deliver the service that we require. I don’t think Friday was down to a lack of funding. This was one error, or limitation should I say, in four million lines of code.”Its chief executive, Richard Deakin, said additional spending would not have solved the problem: “Over the next five years we are spending around £575m on new systems. We have the funding that we need to deliver the service that we require. I don’t think Friday was down to a lack of funding. This was one error, or limitation should I say, in four million lines of code.”
Deakin also defended his pay, with a bonus expected to take it to more than £1m, after MPs called for him to be stripped of his bonus. He told the BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “The pay arrangements in Nats and the performance-related pay is obviously linked into the service that we provide to customers. The incident that occurred on Friday will obviously have an impact on that.Deakin also defended his pay, with a bonus expected to take it to more than £1m, after MPs called for him to be stripped of his bonus. He told the BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “The pay arrangements in Nats and the performance-related pay is obviously linked into the service that we provide to customers. The incident that occurred on Friday will obviously have an impact on that.
“The pay that people receive is based on the performance of the company over the year, and what I would say is that the performance in Nats is among the best of any air navigation service provider in Europe.”“The pay that people receive is based on the performance of the company over the year, and what I would say is that the performance in Nats is among the best of any air navigation service provider in Europe.”
Nats is a public-private partnership between the government, staff and the Airlines Group, whose shareholders include pension funds as well as British Airways, easyJet, Virgin Atlantic and other airlines. It made profits of £82m on turnover of £450m last year.Nats is a public-private partnership between the government, staff and the Airlines Group, whose shareholders include pension funds as well as British Airways, easyJet, Virgin Atlantic and other airlines. It made profits of £82m on turnover of £450m last year.
Deakin said there was always a risk of glitches in computer systems but safety had not been compromised. Controllers remained in contact with planes during the incident, but restricted airspace as a precaution until systems were fully functioning. Nats declared its systems restored on Friday night, but a knock-on effect to airlines from the disruption persisted until early Saturday.Deakin said there was always a risk of glitches in computer systems but safety had not been compromised. Controllers remained in contact with planes during the incident, but restricted airspace as a precaution until systems were fully functioning. Nats declared its systems restored on Friday night, but a knock-on effect to airlines from the disruption persisted until early Saturday.
The CAA said its inquiry panel would have an independent chair and consist of Nats technical experts, a CAA board member and independent experts on information technology, air traffic management and operational resilience.The CAA said its inquiry panel would have an independent chair and consist of Nats technical experts, a CAA board member and independent experts on information technology, air traffic management and operational resilience.
The transport secretary, Patrick McLoughlin, who described the disruption as unacceptable, was expected to make a statement to parliament about the incident on Monday.The transport secretary, Patrick McLoughlin, who described the disruption as unacceptable, was expected to make a statement to parliament about the incident on Monday.