The DEMAND Campaign launches a Downing Street e-petition against Night Flights at East Midlands Airport
26.3.2008 (DEMAND – at East Midlands Airport)
Steve Charlish, Chairman of the DEMAND Campaign group – Demand East Midlands Airport is Now Designated – (
are asking that the restrictions already applicable to the big three London Airports
Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted, are applied at EMA.
East Midlands Airport has been allowed massive expansion of night flights which
exceed acceptable levels to the local community who bear the burden of noise blight
by living underneath the flight paths.
EMA now has more night flights than Heathrow, Gatwick or Stansted (
night operation airport that is unconstrained and able to accommodate aircraft
that may be unable to operate at other airports because of local curfews and other
noise restriction rules.
It is therefore easier for noisy cargo aircraft to use EMA with aircraft age
ranging from 25-50 years old.
At East Midlands Airport a noise regime exists with no planning limits or Central
Government restrictions the community is therefore at the mercy of the airport’s
meaningless voluntary code of noise restrictions (10 point noise plan, arguably
a set of rules with no tangible parameters) allowing all types of aircraft to
fly through the entire Night Period.
Noisy Cargo aircraft are therefore drawn to EMA because of the lack of restrictions
and constraints at the airport and the average age of the cargo aircraft, that
operate there at EMA. It all adds up to unacceptable levels of community blight.
It is time for central Government to set limits and reduce further damage to
the community, to find an acceptable Night Flights limit putting the community
first and stopping the steam roller of ‘Night Activity’ expansion from its owners
Manchester Airport Group".
The petition can be found at:
http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/peacefulnight
The petition reads:
We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to Restrict Night Flights at East
Midlands Airport using section 78 (Designation) of the 1982 Civil Aviation Act
to restrict the amount of Night Flights. We are asking for Regulatory powers
to be applied at East Midlands Airport, with regard to Night Flights. We ask that
the Secretary of State applies controls that the airport is (designated under
section 78 of the 1982 Civil Aviation Act) to limit the excessive environmental
noise blight from the unrestricted night flying permitted at the airport. East
Midlands Airport hosts more night flights than any of the big three London Airports
(Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted) which are regulated by the Government under the
1982 Civil Aviation Act.
Steve Charlish 07740202035
1. Designation is a process determined by the Secretary of State for Transport
who has the ability to define limits of night flying using section 78 of the 1982
Civil Aviation Act, Designation used to limit Night Flight activity at Heathrow,
Gatwick and Stansted.
2. Parliamentary Question by David Taylor MP 13th March 2008 Hansard
Press release – http://www.demand.uk.net/DEMAND-press-release-26-Mar-08.pdf
(which contains figures and charts from Hansard, on 10th and 13th March 2008,
on EMA night flights).