Anger and despair in local communities as CAA backs London City airport flight path changes
Local residents in the East London area reacted with fury to the report published by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) which backed the controversial changes London City Airport made to its flight paths two years ago. In 2016 the airport narrowed all its flights paths, so they became more concentrated. It resulted in a fourfold increase in complaints as people under these new concentrated flight paths experienced many more planes than before. The new CAA report recommends that the concentrated flight paths remain in place. The new flight paths are not producing the fuel and CO2 savings that were expected, and plans are not flying the exact routes, but the CAA still approved them. John Stewart, chair of HACAN East, the campaign body which gives a voice to residents experiencing the noise, said, “There is anger and despair that the CAA has backed the concentrated flight paths. Many people hoped that today’s report would end two years of misery and they would be able to get their lives back. This decision is a cruel blow for them.”
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Anger and despair in local communities as CAA backs London City airport flight path changes
23rd October 2018 (HACAN East press release)
Local residents reacted with fury to the report (1) published today by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) which backed the controversial changes London City Airport made to its flight paths two years ago. In 2016 the airport narrowed all its flights paths. It resulted in a fourfold increase in complaints as people under these new concentrated flight paths experienced many more planes than before.
Today’s report from the CAA assesses the changes that were made. It has recommended that the concentrated flight paths remain in place.
The report did ask London City to look into why the fuel and CO2 savings from the new flight paths were less than predicted. It asked the airport to explain why the aircraft were flying slightly off the predicted routes. But the CAA felt the variations were negligible as far as noise was concerned and backed the new concentrated routes.
John Stewart, chair of HACAN East, the campaign body which gives a voice to residents experiencing the noise, said, “There is anger and despair that the CAA has backed the concentrated flight paths. Many people hoped that today’s report would end two years of misery and they would be able to get their lives back. This decision is a cruel blow for them.”
Stewart added, “This will not be the end of the matter. We had support from a wide range of politicians in calling for an end to concentration. These included the Mayor of London, leading members of the Greater London Authority and lots of local councillors. We will be liaising with them about next steps.”
The flight paths were concentrated in 2016 after minimal consultation. Subsequently the CAA introduced more rigorous consultation procedures but they came in too late for the London City changes.
Over the next few years flight paths will be altered at most of the UK’s airports. The changes are driven by new technology. Ground-based technology is being replaced by satellite systems to guide aircraft as they land and depart. It means that planes can be steered along more precise flight paths, saving fuel, cutting climate emissions and reducing delays at airports.
This results in more concentrated flight paths but it also allows the airport more scope to create a number of concentrated flight paths which could be rotated to give residents some respite from the noise. This is what residents have been calling for.
ENDS
Notes for editors:
(1). CAA report:
https://www.caa.co.uk/Commercial-industry/Airspace/Airspace-change/Reviews/LAMP-phase-1A-PIR/.
For further information:
John Stewart on 0207 737 6641 or 07957385650
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See earlier:
London City Airport may seek permission for more flights – up from its current cap of 111,000 per year
London City Airport is considering an application to raise limits on flights and passenger numbers, its boss has revealed. Chief executive Robert Sinclair believes the airport will approach existing caps on its operations in the next 3 – 4 years. London City Airport is trying to make out it is vital, in the years before Heathrow gets a 3rd runway (if it ever does, which is still fairly unlikely …) Sinclair said: “In the fullness of the next year or two we will be reflecting on the future and life beyond our current planning caps… We will be considering the potential options, which could include raising the caps.” The current limit is 6.5 million passengers and 111,000 flights per year. Annual passenger numbers have grown by 50% since 2012 and might be over 5 million next year. Annual air traffic movements currently stand at around 80,000. Any bid to increase operational caps would be made to Newham Council. John Stewart, chairman of campaign group Hacan East, said: “Local residents would fight tooth and nail any attempt by London City to raise its limits on flights and passengers. Many of them feel their lives are already blighted by planes from the airport.”
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London City airport – Noise Action Plan Consultation (ends 5th Sept) for next 5 years, 2018 – 2023
London City airport is now updating its 2013 – 2018 Noise Action Plan (NAP). The new plan will cover the next 5 years, 2018 – 2023. The airport has a consultation that runs from 25th July to 5th September. People can comment on the current plan, and say what they think should be changed. The draft plan is at Noise Action Plan 2018-2023. “The main purpose of the NAP is to establish the noise impact of the airport in order to consider whether the current noise management measures are sufficient to protect the local community adequately, particularly those worst affected. In order to demonstrate this LCY’s noise impact has been assessed by qualified independent consultants and is documented in Appendix A.” … The airport has a limit of 120,000 permitted aircraft movements per annum, based upon noise factored aircraft movements. For 2013, London City Airport had a total of 77,377 noise factored movements (based on 73,642 aircraft movements).