Simon Calder's Independent Travel Podcast Why a short hop from Newcastle to London Heathrow might involve going around in circles
Nov 21, 2025
In this conversation with Martin Rolfe, the Chief Executive of NATS, listeners gain a fascinating insight into air-traffic control. Martin explains why short flights, like Newcastle to Heathrow, often have to hold before landing and the complexities behind runway sequencing. He discusses the need for airspace modernization to accommodate future expansions at Heathrow and Gatwick. Exciting technological advancements that have already reduced holding times are also highlighted, showing how innovation is crucial for efficiency but won’t eliminate all delays.
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Short Hop That Circled Before Landing
- Simon Calder describes a Newcastle–Heathrow flight that missed its slot and then did circuits over the Home Counties.
- Martin Rolfe explains that missed slots and holding patterns are common when sequencing incoming traffic from different regions.
Holding Patterns Act As A Runway Buffer
- Martin Rolfe says precise minute-by-minute scheduling is technically possible but impractical because of many external variables.
- He frames holding patterns as a necessary buffer to keep the runway continuously used despite uncertainty.
Global Scheduling Faces Many Moving Parts
- Rolfe notes many variables (turnarounds, technicals, curfews, jet streams) make deterministic global scheduling hard.
- He believes future AI and computing could coordinate these factors but it will require broad international cooperation.