UK air traffic control service provider gives £15m contract to support IT infrastructure project

YOUR UPGRADE IS READY: NATS serve 14 UK airports

Updata, part of Capita plc, has been awarded a contract by NATS to provide network connectivity to UK air traffic control services, which handles 2.4 million flights and 250 million passengers every year.

The contract, worth £15m over seven years with a three year option to extend, will provide the critical national infrastructure through WAN connectivity to support NATS’ new IP based voice services being delivered across UK airways. It is due to go live in 2020. 

The new IT infrastructure is an integral part of NATS’ commitment towards SESAR (the Single European Sky ATM Research programme), which aims to develop technologies to enhance European airspace performance – increasing capacity, improving safety, reducing delays and airline costs, and reducing environmental impacts.

Beatrice Butsana-Sita, managing director at Capita Networking Solutions, said: “Connecting people and systems to help organisations transform how they work and drive efficiencies is at the heart of what we do. This new infrastructure is a step change in technology for national air traffic control services. We are delighted to sign this contract with NATS and deliver this service which will be key to the future success of managing air traffic control. We’re looking forward to working with NATS to support them in improving the way Europe’s airspace is managed.”

Tim Bullock, Director, Supply Chain, NATS said: “I am delighted that we have awarded this major contract to Updata. NATS is undertaking a transformational business change, creating a single operational and technology platform, working with partners that can effectively support the business. We are a strong advocate of collaborative working and have selected Updata, who have demonstrated that they work with more focus on customers than traditional providers.”

Capita, the owner of Updata, is a leading UK provider of technology enabled customer and business process services and integrated professional support services. With 73,000 people at over 450 sites, including 98 business centres across the UK, Europe, India and South Africa, Capita uses its expertise, infrastructure and scale benefits to transform its clients’ services, driving down costs and adding value. Capita is quoted on the London Stock Exchange (CPI.L).