Air Navigation Solutions (ANS) successfully took over air traffic control services at Gatwick Airport at midnight on 29 February. The transfer of operations from the current provider NATS is the culmination of a 14-month transition effort, the largest of its kind ever completed.

The company, wholly owned by the German air navigation service provider DFS, will provide air traffic control and air traffic engineering services over a ten-year period at what is the world’s busiest single runway airport, with a maximum of 55 aircraft movements per hour. London Gatwick Airport is also Europe’s leading airport for point-to-point flights, serving more than 200 destinations in 90 countries, and in 2015 the rolling total of passengers exceeded 40 million.

Managing Director Werner Spier commented: "The incredible effort from everyone involved in the transition resulted in a smooth and seamless handover of services. We are now looking forward to delivering high-quality services to Gatwick Airport and its customers in the coming years and providing the wider market with flexible, transparent and customer-centric air traffic control services."