1.25 Within days of the agreement on the Composite Solution for NATS, the Company announced the commencement of its delayed Investment Programme, beginning with a ten-year £127 million programme for new radars at 20 sites across the United Kingdom. NATS believe they have been able to strike a better deal because of the long term certainty of financial resources provided by the new solution, beyond that achieved before the Public Private Partnership. Further announcements in April 2003 included collaboration with the air traffic control services of Germany and Spain to develop an interoperable replacement for NATS' current vulnerable flight data processing system at West Drayton which caused major disruption to flights in and out of the UK in Summer 2002.
1.26 During the crisis of late 2001, NATS obtained permission from the Secretary of State for Transport to defer indefinitely the 2007 completion date for the New Scottish air traffic control Centre in Prestwick. Following the successful refinancing, NATS announced in October 2003 that work on the Centre was to recommence early in 2004, for completion by 2009.
1.27 Besides reinstating these vital core projects, NATS has been able to complete its programme of voluntary retirements, which was designed to reduce the Company's overhead burden, and to further progress the relocation of its Headquarters and administrative offices from London to its new consolidated site at Swanwick near Southampton.