NATIONAL Air Traffic Services (NATS) is to almost double the size of its headquarters at Whiteley, creating 700 new jobs.

The move will make NATS the biggest employer in Fareham and one of the top ten in Hampshire.

The UK's leading air traffic services firm opens its corporate and technical centre (CTC) at Solent Business Park today and chose the occasion to reveal new expansion plans.

Two more buildings will be added to the £20m development to house engineering staff and systems moving from offices in West Drayton and Gatwick.

NATS will then employ around 1400 staff at Whiteley, as well as the 1,000-plus employed four miles away at the London Area Control Centre at Swanwick.

Chief executive Paul Barron said: "NATS is making pioneering moves to put it at the forefront of the European Air Traffic Management industry.

"We are now well into implementing a £1 billion investment programme which includes new systems, new centres and a new way of working for our people. This is key to delivering that.

"We're delighted to have the first stage of the CTC up and running, with almost 750 people already relocated from sites across the UK.

"It will be the nerve centre of our engineering prowess and we look forward to the second stage which will finally bring our development engineers together under one roof for the first time."

Work is expected to start in November with the handover to NATS by early 2006 for systems installation and testing before staff move in.