A HAMPSHIRE firm is seeing the UK economy gather strength after it reported handling an increase in the number of flights it deals with.

The National Air Traffic Service (NATS), based in Swanwick, handled an extra 205,396 flights during September, an increase of 2.3 per cent compared to the same period last year.

At 11 out of the 15 airports where NATS operates air traffic services there was a rise in scheduled air traffic.

Martin Rolfe, managing director of operations at NATS, said: “This is good for the economy, travelling public and for our airline and airport customers.”