Originally Posted by
Air Traffic Controller
You sure? NATS plans to start sequencing for London airspace 500 NM away so a very easy job to put aircraft in the order you wish one hour before landing. You don't need to work on the stack over Biggin Hill!
Dont forget airlines are stakeholders in many ANSPs (IAG in NATS for example) and ATC is becoming more business oriented (and, I hate to say, less safety oriented...) so we have to comply with airline needs.
Obviously the priorityzation project is a little bit more complicated than the DM article, but in the future airlines can have a word in the sequencing job.
Interesting theory, whilst NATS "The Business" might want to become more business oriented, and has done over the years, officially safety is still the number one priority. I can assure you that my ATCO friends in Area Control will go for safety every time (as will my colleagues in other operational areas) as it affects their licence and livelihood.
Richard Deakin has many fine qualities but last time I looked, an ATCO rating wasn't one of them. Its hard enough dealing with the complexities of the London TMA in normal conditions but throw in weather or other factors and any ATCO being told to "make the Birdseed from New York priority to land" will probably be met with a stiff response.