Part of the CAA’s Safety Regulation Group, the Air Traffic Standards Division (ATSD) is dedicated to ensuring that the UK air traffic service system continues to be one of the safest in the world.

Working co-operatively with service providers to drive continuous improvement in the UK, we also have a key contribution to make to the creation of the new Pan-European regulatory framework.

Among ATSD’s many areas of responsibility are the development and publication of safety requirements for all elements of the UK ATS system, and the safety oversight of civil ATS units. This is a broad and challenging remit which includes licensing assessments, inspection and auditing, investigation of incidents and the approval of equipment and procedures used in the provision of air traffic services.

Our personnel liaise with the CAA’s Aerodrome Standards specialists and with UK airfields to facilitate the development by Air Navigation Service Providers (ANSPs), of effective Safety Management Systems. We are working with other European and International groups to establish a safety regulatory framework for the deployment of global ATS technologies such as GPS, ADS, ATN and Data-Link. In the European context, we are involved in harmonising air traffic controller licensing, implementing Single European Sky legislation, supporting the development of the European Aviation Safety Agency and contributing to the project definition phase of the new Pan-European ATM system project known as SESAR.

ATSD has three Regional Offices which are the first point of contact for UK service providers, each with its own team of ATS and Engineering Inspectors. The Southern Office is at Gatwick, the Central Office at Manchester and the Northern Office in Stirling.

We also have an En-Route and College Regulation Section which, in addition to regulating controller training, is responsible for London Area and Terminal Control Centres, the Scottish and Oceanic Control Centre and the supporting UK-wide en-route infrastructure, as well as overseeing the NATS long-term plan for new centres.