The HR team at the National Air Traffic Service (NATS) has been praised for
the way it handled procedural changes after a ‘near miss’ between two passenger
jets over Wales.
David Luxton, national secretary at trade union Prospect, represents many of
the UK’s controllers and told Personnel Today he believes the changes made at
the Swanwick air traffic control centre will lead to a long-term fix.
He said the NATS HR team handled the incident well and added that there had
to be a non-punitive atmosphere to prevent further accidents.
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"It’s essential that there’s an open culture so people aren’t afraid to
admit mistakes. Only that way can you work out ways to prevent accidents happening
in the future, and identify potential problem areas," he said.
A crash was only averted when an onboard collision avoidance system alerted
one pilots with the two planes just 100ft apart.
