Noise News
Below are links to stories about noise in relation to airports and aviation.
Heathrow, consultation on Noise Action Plan, called to act on noise disturbance
People around Heathrow are being asked to respond to a public consultation on how to limit noise disturbance coming from the Airport. Its Noise Action Plan 2024-28 is, in theory, trying to devise a strategy for how it aims to limit disturbance caused to those living nearby. The strategy is required by law, and the Airport administration is currently running a consultation on its proposals. It aims to develop a preferential night route trial for planes aimed at providing predictable periods of respite from night operations. It also proposes work on a Noise Insulation Scheme (NIS), which provides noise insulation for households and community buildings, with first beneficiaries set to be contacted this October. The West Windsor Residents Association (WWRA) which has concerns about the health impacts of the noise and sleep disturbance caused, which cause more illness, earlier death, reduced work performance, and impaired learning. WWRA councillor, Wisdom Da Costa, has encouraged people to report noise disturbances at night directly to Heathrow, which can be made using an online form, by email to noise@heathrow.com or by calling 0800 344844.
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London City airport expansion plans rejected by Newham – it will appeal to the GLA
London City airport is considering next steps after its local council, Newham, rejected its expansion plans. The airport wants to raise annual passenger numbers from 6.5 million to 9 million by extending the operating hours on Saturdays, until 6.30pm. There would also be 3 additional early morning flights on weekdays. Concerns were raised over increased noise pollution and emissions if extra flights were allowed. Flights are not allowed from 12.30pm Saturdays to 12.30pm Sundays to provide respite for nearby residents under a long-standing curfew. The airport says it needs more flights to cope with post-Covid passenger demand, with more destinations, especially on Saturdays. The council considers that the extra flights would “result in a materially new and substantial harm” through noise pollution. The application will now be referred to the Greater London Authority for a final decision. John Stewart, of HACAN East said "People value the weekend break from the noise. It was brought in because people live so close to the airport. Newham Council was right to reject the proposal to eat into it."
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Noisy night flight ban proposed by East Midlands Airport
Noisy planes would be banned from taking off or landing at East Midlands Airport (EMA) during the night (23:00 and 07:00) under new plans. The airport's noise action plan for 2024 to 2028 is proposing bans on three categories of the noisiest planes (QC4, QC8 and QC16 ratings). The suggested changes also would see penalties to airlines flying louder planes at night increased. A consultation closes on 31 July. The airport said night flights account for 45% of its operations, and includes passenger services as well as freight. Under the airport's planning conditions, noise must not exceed 55 decibels for more than 16km around the site between those hours. EMA says it has a freight capacity of 450,000 tonnes a year, forecast to reach 700,000 by 2040. Since Covid, the number of the older and noisier QC4-rated aircraft flights has increased, which the airport says is due to a shortage of vehicles and the need to meet demand for increased online shopping. Fines for airlines not meeting new "Chapter 14" noise standards - certification standards for noise emissions from aircraft - would currently affect 79% of all night flights, with just 21% meeting the standard in 2022.
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Dutch court in Haarlem blocks flight cutback plan for Schiphol airport
The Dutch government cannot introduce a cap to lower flight numbers at Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport later this year, a local court has ruled. This blocks one of the most high-profile attempts yet, anywhere, to reduce the aviation industry’s environmental impact. A Haarlem court ruled that the Dutch government could not cut flight numbers by 8% to 460,000 per year, as it had not gone through the correct procedures when it introduced the rules as temporary measures. The court ruled that “According to European rules, the state can only reduce the number of air transport movements at an airport after going through a careful process.” The airline industry had brought the case against the government, claiming (despite growth plans) that it was working hard to reduce aircraft noise levels and CO2 emissions. KLM, easyJet, Tui and Delta were also involved in bringing the case, which was based on the local impact of flying, including noise and NO2, and could have become a test case. Dutch public policy contrasts with the UK, where the government has said airport capacity growth is consistent with its so called "net zero" 2050 targets.
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Luton Airport expansion plans to be examined by the Planning Inspectorate
The government has agreed that the Planning Inspectorate (PI) will examine proposals from "Luton Rising", the Luton Council company that owns the airport, to expand Luton Airport from 18 million to 32 million passengers per year. The council makes the usual claims about more employment and great economic benefits for the area. The PI has six months to examine the plans. The transport secretary [Mark Harper, since October 2022] will then decide whether to grant development consent. The expansion plans include new terminal capacity, some runway changes, and new airside and landside facilities. A council spokesperson said that, "for every additional passenger above the airport's current capacity, it will be able to invest an extra £1 into local communities, helping to tackle deprivation." Really? Andrew Lambourne, a spokesman for protest group Luton and District Association for the Control of Aircraft Noise (LADACAN), said: "It's tragic that the councillors who run Luton Rising have been so obsessed with growing the airport they appear to have lost sight of the need for prudence" Campaigners said the expansion plans would "create noise blight" across the area. Local MP for Hitchin, Bim Afolami, is strongly against the expansion, due to the additional noise burden it would bring.
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London City Airport “consulting” on extra flights and extended operating hours at weekends
Newham Council, the planning authority for London City airport, formally started consulting on its expansion proposals on 15th February. It will last until 17th March. Newham’s Strategic Development Committee will then later this year decide whether or not to approve the proposals. The detailed application is on Newham’s website It is a very long consultation with many dozen documents, only available online and hard to plough through. Local campaign group, HACAN East summarise the key points as an extra 6 - 7 hours flying on Saturdays; an extra 2.5 million passengers a year using to the airport; and extra early morning flights. At present no flights are permitted between 12.30pm on Saturdays and 12.30pm on Sundays. London City proposes for flights on Saturday to end at 6.30pm (7.30pm in summer). It plans to increase passenger numbers from 6.5m to 9m a year. It plans 3 extra flights during the first hour of operation, from 6.30 – 7am. It is not proposing to introduce night flights, or lift the cap of 111,000 allowed to use the airport each year. HACAN East is arranging meetings for local people to find out more.
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London City airport – there may be a consultation about allowing flights on Saturday afternoons
There is speculation about London City airport consulting about changing the times on Saturday afternoons, when the airport is open. However, local group Hacan East says that, as far as they know, Newham Council has made no official announcement about the start of the public consultation into London City's expansion plans, but they will be contacting the Council (10th February) to find out the position. The expectation is that instead of flights ending at 1pm on Saturdays, they would continue until 8.30pm. This would be deeply opposed by residents in the area, who suffer from considerable plane noise. It is thought that the airport applied for this, to Newham Council, in December. City Airport previously tried to extend Saturday flight times to 22:00, but backtracked after a public consultation in late 2022. 70% of responses to that consultation opposed any expansion. The airport also wants 12 extra Saturday flights between 18:30 and 19:30 in the summer months, and 3 more planes taking off each morning. And it hopes to increase the yearly cap on passengers from 6.5 million to 9 million.
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AEF questions the CAA’s effectiveness on environmental issues
The Department for Transport recently called for evidence as part of a review of “the effectiveness and efficiency of the CAA. The consultation, which opened on the 28th of November 2022, closed on 29th January 2023. The main duties of the CAA are on safety and the well-being of its consumers, the air passengers. Its effectiveness on environmental issues is a subsidiary concern. Aviation Environment Federation submitted comments. Their opinion is that "the CAA’s strategy is inadequate in relation to all environmental issues. Many, perhaps most, of the deficiencies in the CAA’s strategy arise because it has no meaningful environmental duty and few powers to require the industry to achieve positive environmental outcomes. We believe this can only be remedied if the Government provides the CAA with an environmental duty, regulatory functions and clear guidance.” The AEF says the CAA is required to “have regard to the growth of the aviation sector”, but not to prioritise it over environmental sustainability. It does not act to regulate appropriately the climate or noise impacts of the aviation industry. See the full AEF response.
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Belgium to tax private jets and short haul flights using Brussels airport
The Belgian federal government is reviewing the taxation of planes landing or taking off in Belgium. New criteria are taken into account, such as greenhouse gas emissions, or the destination of the flight. Private jets, but also night flights will pay more. Currently any aircraft that lands or takes off from Brussels airport pays a fee based on the noise it generates on takeoff or landing. From April 2023, the tax will depend on noise, but also CO2 emissions, air pollution caused by the flight, the time of day or night at which the flight is made, and finally, the destination. The Federal Minister for Mobility Georges Gilkinet said “What I want to avoid is that Brussels airport becomes Europe’s noise dustbin and that it remains, on the contrary, among the best European airports. There is no reason why noisy planes which are refused elsewhere can continue to come to Brussels, and disturb the sleep of millions of Belgians“. Airlines are not happy about it. The other big change concerns private jets. They represent 3,000 flights per year or 12% of all Belgian air traffic.These measures represent a first step for the Minister, who is already planning more in the months to come.
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Leeds Bradford Airport: summer night flight limit exceeded by 600, say campaigners
Leeds Bradford airport is currently allowed 2,920 flights at night (between 23:00 and 07:00) in the summer period, which is defined as 27 March to 30 October in 2022 - the same as British Summer Time. However, local campaigners, GALBA, have found that there were about 600 more night flights than this, over the summer ie. almost 3,500. That comes to around 10 more per night. The maximum number of night time aircraft movements (ie. takes offs and landings) in the Winter Season at 1,200, and up to 10% of ‘unused’ night flights from the previous season may be transferred to the next season. So the airport has broken the rules on the number of night flights. Leeds City Council confirmed it had received a complaint and was investigating. Enforcement of the planning consent of the airport is the responsibility of the council. There are serious concerns about airport bosses having "repeatedly claimed" the airport would double in size, and how that is possible, when there are strict rules on the number of passengers and, crucially, the number of night flights that can be operated.