The latest traffic figures from the UK’s leading provider of air traffic services, NATS, show that it handled the millionth flight on June 26th this year.

Overall UK flights increased by 1.8 per cent in June 2013 compared to the same time last year.

Air Traffic Controllers handling flights through Shanwick Oceanic airspace at the Prestwick Centre in Scotland handled a record number of flights in a day, managing 1,484 flights on June 12th as a result of re-routed traffic.

This additional traffic was avoiding French airspace during the time of the French air traffic controllers strike.

Air traffic movements at the 15 UK airports where NATS provides a service, showed growth of 2.1 per cent, with London City growing by 11.8 per cent and Bristol 10.9 per cent, recording the highest increases this month.

NATS-attributable delays in June recorded the lowest figure since records of delays began in the mid-1990s and was 43 per cent down on June 2012.

The percentage of flights not delayed by NATS during the month totalled an impressive 99.6 per cent.

NATS managing director operations Martin Rolfe said: “It’s great to see NATS-attributable delay figures reach record lows, continuing a trend that has seen minimal delays to customers – airlines and airports – over the past 12 months.

“This is particularly impressive when taking into account the transition to Manchester Airport’s new control tower on June 27th, and just demonstrates the success of the venture and the professionalism of the team there.

“It is also great to see the millionth flight handled this month and we look forward to handling an increasing number of flights for the second half of the year.”