Edinburgh TUTUR flight path trial ended 2 months early – but residents say changes persist
In June Edinburgh airport started a trial of a new, concentrated take off flight path (TUTUR), designed to enable the airport to deal with more planes per hour, and therefore make more money and raise the airport’s value. Due to the utter noise misery the trial produced and the huge volume of complaints, it was ended two months early – on 28th October, not 24th December. However, as has been the pattern at other airports, people overflown say the route has not returned to how it was before the trial. Campaigner Helena Paul from local group SEAT (Stop Edinburgh Airport Trial) said: “Despite assurances that the TUTUR trial has ended, the noise disturbance has not stopped. In fact, many residents are reporting a serious increase in the levels of noise from flights compared to before the trial started. … It’s perfectly clear to many thousands of us that there’s been a significant change in the pattern of use of the skies above our heads, to the severe detriment of many communities living beneath.” Helena has asked for data gathered during the trail period to be released, so that questions can be answered. They want to show definitively and precisely what happened pre-trial, and what is happening now.
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Edinburgh Airport boss confirms trial flight path ended
Airport boss Gordon Dewar assured communities under the trial flight path that it is no longer being used
By Morven Quin (Linlithgow Gazette)
6.11.2015
Campaigners against the trial flight path at Edinburgh Airport say their lives are still being disrupted by noise, despite assurances that the flight path is no longer being used.
Chief executive, Gordon Dewar, has had to confirm the trial flight path over parts of South Queensferry, Linlithgow and Bo’ness did end last week, after reports of planes still flying overhead came to light.
Campaigner Helena Paul said: “Despite assurances that the TUTUR trial has ended, the noise disturbance has not stopped. In fact, many residents are reporting a serious increase in the levels of noise from flights compared to before the trial started.
“It’s perfectly clear to many thousands of us that there’s been a significant change in the pattern of use of the skies above our heads, to the severe detriment of many communities living beneath.”
Helena, who lives in affected area Blackness, is calling for the airport to release data gathered during the test period so that questions can be answered.
Local group on Facebook. Comment and discussion about whether flights have gone back to earlier state, or not.
She said: “From this data we can show definitively and precisely what happened pre-trial, and what is happening now.
“We’re not neurotic fools who have suddenly become more sensitised to noise, there has unquestionably and categorically been a change in the noise levels being experienced by many residents across many areas.”
Edinburgh Airport said early noise complaint analysis suggested over half of the noise complaints received during the trial were not about TUTUR flights and were actually in reference to aircraft on a flight path called GRICE – which has been used for over 40 years.
According to figures released by the airport, there were 331 departures on the GRICE path in August last year compared to 362 in August this year.
Mr Dewar said: “The trial has stopped as we stated and there are no flights operating on this route.
“However an MSP and some residents have been in touch with Edinburgh Airport since the end of the trial and have misinterpreted flights that are on a well-established route called GRICE.
“It is worth noting that a substantial percentage of complaints, early indications would suggest well over half, received during the trial also related to flights on well-established and unchanged routes.
“We care greatly about our local standing as we are local ourselves. A huge number of the people who benefit from the 8000 jobs that Edinburgh Airport supports live within 20 miles of the airport – myself included.
“I hope that we can now have a debate about how the airport is to grow in order to deliver for Scotland and at the same time maintain positive relationships with our neighbouring communities.”
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Edinburgh Airport confirms TUTUR flight path trial ended last week
Date? Around 7th November 2015
Edinburgh Airport Press Release
Edinburgh Airport has today offered further confirmation to its neighbouring communities that the TUTUR flight path trial ended last week.
This follows letters and calls to Edinburgh Airport from a politician and some concerned residents who have been in contact about aircraft they can see or hear.
This coincides with early noise complaint analysis suggesting that well over half of the noise complaints received during the trial period were not about TUTUR flights – and instead were actually a response to aircraft on a flight path called GRICE which has been used for over 40 years.
During August of this year there were 362 GRICE departures from Edinburgh Airport – compared to 331 GRICE departures in August 2014.
Commenting, Gordon Dewar, Edinburgh Airport’s CEO, said:
“Last week Edinburgh Airport’s flight path trial TUTUR came to a close. The trial has stopped as we stated and there are no flights operating on this route.
“TUTUR was due to officially end in the early hours of Thursday 29th October.
However, due to wind conditions, the last flight that used the TUTUR flight path out of Edinburgh Airport was actually on Monday 26th October.
“However an MSP and some residents have been in touch with us since the end of the trial and have misinterpreted flights that are on a well-established route called GRICE which has flown out of Edinburgh for over 40 years.
“It is worth noting that a large number of complaints – early indications would suggest well over half – received during the trial also related to flights on well-established and unchanged routes.
“It would appear that TUTUR – and the attention it has gained – has made some people more aware and sensitive to flights that have been passing them on the same route for many years.
“We care greatly about our local standing as we are local ourselves. A huge number of the people who benefit from the 8000 jobs that Edinburgh Airport supports live within 20 miles of the airport – myself included.
“I hope that we can now have a debate about how the airport is to grow in order to deliver for Scotland and at the same time maintain positive relationships with our neighbouring communities.”
 August 2014GRICE 3C departures 331 tracks |  August 2015GRICE 3C departures 362 tracks |
ENDS
Notes:
End of Edinburgh Airport SID trial (29.10.15) http://www.edinburghairport.com/about-us/media-centre/news/end-of-edinburgh-airport-sid-trial(http://www.edinburghairport.com/about-us/media-centre/news/end-of-edinburgh-airport-sid-trial)
Edinburgh Evening News (29.10.15) http://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/news/opinion/gordon-dewar-new-flights-have-to-go-somewhere-1-3931230(http://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/news/opinion/gordon-dewar-new-flights-have-to-go-somewhere-1-3931230)
The GRICE departure is the standard route for aircraft flying north from Edinburgh. Historically, this route has primarily been used by smaller aircraft flying to northern Scotland and the Highlands & Islands. Over the last ten years the route has become busier as the airport added links to new destinations in Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark and Iceland. The route is sometimes used by transatlantic flights making a more northerly crossing and by flights to the Near/Middle East. The route takes aircraft to a point north of Stirling where they typically either join the main airway to Aberdeen, head west to the Atlantic or east towards Denmark.
Earlier:
Edinburgh trial (no prior consultation) of new narrow route to be ended 2 months early, due to opposition
Edinburgh Airport is to halt its controversial trial of a new flight path two months early (28th October). The trial of the concentrated route resulted in unacceptable levels of noise for those below the new route. The airport’s Chief executive Gordon Dewar admitted the airport had been overwhelmed with complaints about the trial route over areas which were not previously over flown. He said a letter from Transport Minister, Derek Mackay, asking if the trial could be shortened had also influenced the decision. The announcement was made at a packed public meeting in Broxburn. Like all other new routes that have been introduced through the CAA, there was no consultation. Mr Dewar said on the consultation: “…I do apologise. We have learned a lesson on that one.” The CAA has been taken aback by the extent of opposition to every new concentrated flight path it has introduced, and appears unable to work out how to implement the European SESAR changes to airspace on an articulate and determined population, against their will. Someone at the meeting commented that Gordon Dewar’s presentation was met with silence from the audience. But a short video by Sally Pavey, an experienced noise campaigner from Gatwick, received enthusiastic applause. Campaigners from affected airports are linking up to oppose unsuitable airspace changes.
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Scottish MSPs call for the Edinburgh flight path trial, that is reducing people to tears, to be ended early
Edinburgh Airport started a trial of a new flight path in June, due to continue till 24th December. The purpose of the route is to enable the airport to have take-offs every minute, rather than every two minutes. It has resulted in a narrow, concentrated flight path over areas that did not have much plane noise before, and this has caused real distress. People are especially infuriated because the CAA allows NATS to run trials with no consultation of the public. This consultation is currently only needed once the trial has been done (and it pretty much a fait accompli). Campaigners of SEAT (Stop Edinburgh Airspace Trial) launched a petition against the trial and have won the support of cross-party Lothian MSPs, including Labour’s Neil Findlay who yesterday led the debate. Four MSPs spoke up in a debate at Hollyrood, saying it is not acceptable that people now badly affected by noise were not consulted, and they want the trial ended early. Alison Johnstone (Green Party Scotland) said the relentless noise, often from 5am all day through till midnight, had reduced people to tears due to stress and sleep deprivation. She added, re. the CAA: “Just because you don’t have to consult, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t.”
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Edinburgh Airport’s new TUTUR flight path trial started 25th June – maybe for 6 months
The trial of a new flight path to the west of Edinburgh airport started on 25th June. The airport itself does not say how long the trial with last, but reports say either 5 months or 6 months. The trial sees southbound planes take off over Broxburn and Uphall before turning east over the Forth, then south over East Lothian. The aim of the trial is to speed up departures, increase the number of planes than can be handles, and make more money for airlines and the airport. Edinburgh airport says if the trial is a “success,” [a success may mean if the level of opposition is low enough, or can be discounted] it could cut the minimum interval between take-offs from two minutes to one minute, doubling the potential number of flights by large planes from the airport. That could mean increasing the total number of flights by 20% to around 120,000 per year. People finding themselves under the new, narrow, route are experiencing much worse plane noise than before – especially as much of the new flight path is on a turn. People are encouraged to contact the airport and make complaints, if the are not happy with the new situation. Edinburgh airport says: “If the trial is successful it will continue for a bit longer” (ie. no end date?) going through the formal Airspace Change Process by the CAA. Once that is done, the route will be permanent – after a public consultation and the statutory change process.
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Edinburgh Airport unveils 5 month trial of flight path to boost the airport’s capacity
Edinburgh Airport has unveiled details of a 5-month trial of a new flight path for aircraft taking off to the west, in a bid to increase capacity. The Airspace Trial, which will begin on 25 June, will introduce a new SID route, the purpose of which is to allow more flights to use the runway, and allow aircraft to take off at one-minute intervals. This is to “allow the airport to maintain safe and sustainable growth without affecting punctuality.” Most of the time the flights take off to the west and there are currently 3 SID routes – known as Grice (which goes north), Gosam (which goes south west) and Talla (south). The new route – Tutur – will see aircraft take off in a south westerly direction and turn right towards the River Forth, passing over West Lothian and to the east of Linlithgow. The settlements worse affected, with planes at 1900 – 2000 feet, would be Uphall and Dechmont. Map Aircraft will climb as they turn, to fly over the coast and down the Firth of Forth passing North Queensferry, and then fly back over land at approximately 13,000ft near Musselburgh. The airport says the aircraft using the trial route are likely to be their least noisy (B737s, A319, A320, A321, 787 and A330s). The airport says the trial would monitor the impact on local communities, and noise monitors would be placed along the flight path to collect data on the flights.
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