The aviation watchdog appointed on Friday (6 October) former Transport Focus chair Jeff Halliwell to lead the enquiry, which will focus on determining the causes of the incident on 28 August and its impact on consumers as well as Nats’ overall performance.
“We have appointed Jeff Halliwell, who will be supported by two further panel members, to bring a range of expertise to help determine and consider any recommendations to benefit both consumers and the wider aviation industry,” said CAA joint interim chief executive Rob Bishton.
On 28 August, hundreds of thousands of travellers were left stranded when Nats reported an IT issue, which prevented the company from automatically processing flight plans, forcing it to carry out operations manually and therefore leading to a huge number of cancellations.
“I am looking forward to working with industry and passengers to tackle this review to understand how the incident occurred, how it was managed and identify any recommendations,” Halliwell added.
As part of the enquiry, the CAA will also look at Nats’ investment and infrastructure as well as the support provided to customers by airlines and airports during the incident.
Nats’ performance has been at the centre of controversies over the past few months, as many airlines have called for a reform of the company after staffing shortages resulted in delays and cancellations.
Just last week, Gatwick was forced to cap the number of daily flights after 30% of the airport’s control tower came down with short-term sickness.
The announcement caused an uproar among airlines, with Ryanair saying it wasn’t cancelling any of its flights and easyJet chief executive Johan Lundgren calling for a “wide-ranging” review of air traffic control systems.
