A large percentage of the air traffic flow in the UK is associated with movement to or from other European countries. It would therefore be unrealistic to consider further development of the UK air traffic control network other than on an inter-European basis, although this would necessarily raise many problems.

Throughout Europe, during the period since the Second World War, the various nation states have developed their individual air traffic control systems based on national centres and extending to the boundaries of their own Flight Information Regions (FIR). The movement of aircraft across the FIR boundaries of neighbouring states is at present governed by a series of bilateral agreements, whilst attempts to reach international agreement on integration of the European ATC system have not as yet met with much success.