Role and remit
Martin Rolfe leads NATS as Chief Executive Officer, overseeing the full range of the UK ANSP's en-route, oceanic, and airport ATC operations. His responsibilities span:
- En-route operations — NATS en-route centres at Swanwick (Hampshire) and Prestwick (Scotland), handling the majority of UK and North Atlantic commercial traffic
- Technology investment — the £1.3bn programme replacing NATS's core en-route systems, including new radar processing architecture and controller working positions
- Commercial operations — NATS provides ATC services to 15 UK airports and holds international contracts in the Middle East, Asia, and the Caribbean
- Regulatory relationship — NATS operates under a licence framework regulated by the UK Civil Aviation Authority, with performance obligations on capacity and cost efficiency
Rolfe joined NATS from a background in the aviation industry and has led the organisation through the recovery from the 2020 pandemic traffic collapse, the reactivation of capital investment programmes, and the operational challenges of European airspace pressure in 2022–25.
ASW 2026 sessions
About NATS
NATS is the UK's designated en-route ANSP and a public-private partnership: 49% owned by the Airline Group (a consortium of UK airlines), 42% by the UK government, and 9% by NATS employees and a charitable trust. It was the first ANSP in the world to be part-privatised, in 2001. NATS handles more than 2.5 million flights annually across UK and North Atlantic airspace, making it one of the largest single ANSPs in Europe by traffic volume.