NATS Airspace plan offsets noise with emissions
21.2.2008 (Guardian)
Millions of people in London and south-east England will be spared a significant increase in aircraft noise, but see no reduction in carbon dioxide emissions, under Britain's biggest airspace shake-up.
The national air traffic control company, Nats, today publishes proposals for an airspace map to accommodate 100 million more airline passengers a year by 2014. The changes will redraw the airspace above 12 million people and introduce three new holding patterns for Luton and Stansted, as some homes near Britain's busiest airports see the number of aircraft over their roofs increasing by more than 10,000 flights a year.
"Overall the proposal is expected to make little difference to average fuel burn through the region," Nats said. The proposals cast doubt over a Nats target to reduce by 10% the amount of CO2 generated in British airspace by 2020. Nats said it had to make compromises to balance the aims of reducing aircraft noise, conserving fuel and reducing delays.
Nats said the redrawn airspace map would reduce by 20% to 1.28 million the number of people exposed to departing aircraft flying below 4,000ft, because planes taking off from Heathrow, Luton, City, Stansted and Northolt airports would climb more rapidly . This will reduce noise exposure, Nats said, but increase carbon dioxide emissions because aircraft will have to use more power on take-off.
Householders in some London boroughs would see more than 7,000 extra flights take off over their roofs by 2014, while in Hemel Hempstead the figure would exceed 15,000.
The proposals come a day after computer failure caused delays at Heathrow.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2008/feb/21/transport
see also:
NATS changes - Villagers face noise blight as jets are diverted from towns |
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News Item added: 21st February 2008 |
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Thousands of homes in rural areas will be blighted by aircraft noise under reorganisation of flight paths, which is intended to cope with the rapid growth in air travel. National Air Traffic Services (Nats), is planning to redirect aircraft over sparsely populated countryside to reduce the impact on urban areas. (Times) |
Wake up call as winners and losers emerge from proposed flight path changes by NATS |
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News Item added: 21st February 2008 |
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Plans to change the stacking areas and departure routes for planes using Stansted Airport are set to be a wake up call to many communities who will be blighted by overflying aircraft for the first time as both winners and losers emerge from proposals issued by National Air Traffic Systems (NATS) today. (SSE press release) |
NATS publishes consultation on changes to the Terminal Control North airspace region |
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News Item added: 21st February 2008 |
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NATS have put their proposals for changes to the Terminal Control North airspace region out to public consultation. This region covers a large part of London, southern and eastern England, an area with a population of 12 million people and home to some of the UK's busiest airports. (NATS) |
(21st February 2008)
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