HC Deb 21 January 1998 vol 304 cc547-9W
Mrs. Dunwoody

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what was the total number of civil aviation movements over the last five years in United Kingdom controlled airspace. [24484]

Ms Glenda Jackson

National Air Traffic Services Ltd. (NATS) have provided us with the following figures for the total number of aircraft movements handled at each of their Area Control Centres for each of the last five years:

Aircraft movements handled by NATS Units (Year to 31 March)
(000s)
Centre 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997
LATCC 1,288 1,331 1,411 1,494 1,560
MACC 264 273 361 374 394
ScACC 380 390 405 404 415
Oceanic 224 231 235 252 265

Note:

The figures are subject to a degree of double-counting where aircraft are passed from one centre to another.

Key:

LATCC = London Area and Terminal Control Centre

MACC = Manchester Area Control Centre.

ScACC = Scottish Area Control Centre.

Source:

NATS Annual Report and Accounts 1997.

Civil Aviation Authority Report and Accounts 1995 and 1996.

Mrs. Dunwoody

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what assessment he has made of the rate of change of the impact of aviation movements on airprox incidents over the last five years. [24482]

Ms. Glenda Jackson

The Civil Aviation Authority, who are responsible for air space management in the United Kingdom, have supplied figures expressed in terms of Commercial Air Transport Aircraft Reported in Risk-Bearing Airprox incidents per 100,000 hours flown as an illustration of the impact of aviation movements on airprox incidents. The figures, for each of the last 5 years for which figures are available, have remained relatively constant despite significant increases (over 20 per cent.) in air movements over the period and are given in the table.

Commercial Air Transport Aircraft Reported in Risk-Bearing Airprox incidents per 100,000 hours flown
Year Airprox (P) Airprox (C)
1991 0.7 2.9
1992 0.4 2.5
1993 0.9 2.2
1994 1.5 2.0
1995 1.0 2.8
19961 0.7 2.8
1 1996 figures are provisional and cover the first nine months of the year.

1. Airprox (C) are incidents reported by Air Traffic Controllers, and Airprox (P) are incidents reported by pilots.

2. Risk-bearing Airprox incidents are those falling in categories A (real risk of collision), B (possible risk of collision) and C (slight risk of collision). It excludes category D (no risk of collision) incidents.

Mrs. Dunwoody

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list the number of airprox incidents in United Kingdom controlled airspace for the last five years. [24483]

Ms Glenda Jackson

The Civil Aviation Authority, who are responsible for air space management in the United Kingdom, have supplied the following figures for the total number of airprox incidents reported in the United Kingdom for each of the past five years.

  • 1993: 217
  • 1994: 212
  • 1995: 208
  • 1996: 211
  • 1997: 209.

Note: The above figures cover pilot-reported—Airprox(P)-incidents, and controller-reported—Airprox(C)—incidents and in the case of Airprox(P) incidents not just in controlled airspace (to obtain the breakdown would involve disproportionate cost). All reported incidents are given—i.e. both Risk-Bearing and Non Risk-Bearing.