This weekend brings a unique convergence of events for the UK. Not only is it Easter weekend, a time of religious observance and celebration for many, but it also marks the weekend when the UK switches to daylight saving time, commonly known as the « clocks change. » Adding to this rare occurrence, airlines are transitioning to their summer flight schedules. This triple coincidence is expected to have significant implications for air travel in the coming weeks.
NATS Anticipates a 10% Increase in Flights as Summer Season Kicks Off
NATS, the UK’s major provider of air traffic services, is gearing up for a busy summer season. With Easter falling on the same weekend as the clocks change and airlines switching to their summer schedules, NATS predicts a surge in flight activity. The organization expects flights to increase by around 10% next week compared to the previous week. This uptick follows a year-to-date increase of 4.7% in flights compared to 2023, with last week alone seeing a 5% rise as the build-up to summer began.
Major Events and New Airline Bases Drive Demand for Air Travel
The upcoming months are set to be particularly busy for air traffic, fueled by major world events and expansions in the airline industry. The Champions League Final, taking place in London, and the Paris Olympics are expected to draw large numbers of visitors, further increasing air traffic levels. Additionally, the airline industry is seeing growth with new bases being established for easyJet at Birmingham and Jet2 at Liverpool. In anticipation of strong demand, NATS has been actively preparing and is participating in a Europe-wide « All Together Now » campaign led by Eurocontrol to ensure smooth and efficient air traffic management across the continent.
Kathryn Leahy, NATS Chief Operations Officer, said: “We are looking forward to a very busy summer with traffic levels pretty much back to pre-pandemic levels, and we have been preparing extensively with our airline and airport customers since the start of the year to ensure the UK network is managed safely and as efficiently as possible.
“This also means working very closely with Eurocontrol to support their efforts across all aviation stakeholders to make sure Summer ‘24 runs as smoothly as possible across the whole European network.”
NATS has reinstated daily calls with airlines and airports, last held before the pandemic, to ensure all aviation stakeholders are well informed and coordinated whatever operational issues may arise anywhere in the aviation network, such as convective weather which can cause problems across the whole of Europe. Work has also been underway to spread traffic away from expected “hotspots” in the UK network.
Kathryn said: “We have a great overview of the entire network so we hope the daily calls will be useful. Above everything, airlines and airports need stability in the system and to know if anything is likely to disrupt that. We will be focusing especially on the first wave of departures in the morning, because that sets the scene for the rest of the day.”
