Noise News
Below are links to stories about noise in relation to airports and aviation.
Study shows sleep deprivation ‘costs UK £40bn a year’ through lost working days
A study by Rand Europe, published in November 2016, shows that sleep-deprived workers are costing the UK economy £40 billion per year and face a higher risk of death. The calculation is based on tired employees being less productive or absent from work altogether. Rand Europe, which used data from 62,000 people, said the loss equated to 1.86% of economic growth. The main impact was on health, with those sleeping less than 6 hours a night 13% more likely to die earlier than those getting the "healthy daily sleep range" of 7 - 9 hours. The study evaluated the economic cost of insufficient sleep in the UK, US, Canada, Germany and Japan. UK loses 200,000 working days a year, costing £40bn, or 1.86% of GDP. Germany loses 200,000 working days a year, costing $60bn, or 1.56% of GDP. Marco Hafner, a research leader at Rand Europe and the report's main author said small changes could make a big difference. If those in the UK currently sleeping under 6 hours a night increased this to between 6 - 7 hours it would add £24 billion to the UK's economy. Large numbers of people living near UK airports, Heathrow and Gatwick in particular, are subjected to aircraft noise at night, between 11pm and 7am, and many suffer chronic sleep interference or sleep loss as a result.
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Comment from Gatwick Area Conservation Campaign on night flights plan – same number but less noise
New rules for night flights for the next five years have been announced by the Government. Chairman of GACC, Brendon Sewill, said: "Gatwick has more night flights than any other London airport. We are disappointed that there is to be virtually no reduction in the number of flights. People across Britain are kept awake by aircraft and there is growing evidence that this has a serious impact on health, so GACC’s aim is to see a ban on all night flights." GACC, however, welcomes and supports the suggestion by the DfT that the permitted level of noise at night (the noise quota) at Gatwick may be cut by 20% over the next five years. That will not only have an obvious advantage but it will force airlines to buy and to use quieter aircraft – and that will also have a benefit during the day. But we need to ensure the aviation industry does not try to weaken this restriction. GACC welcomes the proposal to reduce the noise quotas to the current level of use: that will not make any difference to the current situation but will prevent a potential sizeable increase in future years. It is something that GACC has argued for in the past. GACC will be consulting its members on its detailed response to the consultation and welcomes their views.
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Gatwick has more night flights than Heathrow or Stansted – and that will continue for next 5 years
The Government Department for Transport (DfT) has released the long awaited night flight consultation documents (ends 28th February). The number of flights between 23:00 and 07.00 would not be reduced. The current number, and the one proposed for the next 5 years, is 3,250 in the winter and 11,200 in the summer, making an annual total of 14,450 which averages as 40 per night through the year. There will be a slight reduction in the quota count, as it is not being used - so the new figure will not change anything. This will be a reduction of at least 345 in the winter to 1655 [from 2000] and 1,330 in the summer to 4870 [from 6200]. Local campaign group CAGNE has commented about how unsatisfactory the proposals for Gatwick are. Sally Pavey, Chair of CAGNE said: “We would like to see a total ban on Gatwick night flights as this is a major cause of complaints we receive from communities. Summer nights especially when residents want to enjoy their gardens and have windows open on hot evenings.” CAGNE says it is regrettable that the government seems to "accept the economic case over the health implications of allowing night flights to continue.” Gatwick plans to continue to grow at perhaps 10% per year, meaning continually increasing noise.
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DfT publishes disappointing consultation on night flight regime at Heathrow, Gatwick & Stansted
The long awaited consultation on Night flying restrictions at Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted has now finally been published, for the 5 years to October 2022 (well before any new runway). It has been delayed for 3 years. Many people whose sleep is disturbed by night flights had been hoping for real prospects of the number of night flights being reduced. However, the consultation (that ends on 28th February) merely suggests keeping the numbers of flights between 23:30 and 06:00 the same at Heathrow and Gatwick, but increasing the number at Stansted. ["Night" is defined as 2300-0700 local time]. At Heathrow the number would remain at 2,550 in the winter and 3,250 in the summer (seasons based on dates the clocks change to/from summer time). That is an annual total of 5,800 which averages as 16 per night through the year. The figure at Gatwick is 3,250 in the winter and 11,200 in the summer, making an annual total of 14,450 which averages as 40 per night through the year. However, the DfT proposes reducing the total noise quota (points based on the noise of planes at night) at Heathrow Airport by at least 43% in the winter and 50% in the summer, ie. a reduction of at least 1,740 in the winter to 2,340 (from 4080) and 2,560 in the summer to 2,540 (from 5100). The cut in quota count at Gatwick would be 17% in winter and 21% in summer., ie. a reduction of at least 345 in the winter to 1655 (from 2000) and 1,330 in the summer to 4870 (from 6200).
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NATS realise the importance of good sleep for their controllers’ alertness – but not for those overflown at night?
In an article on the importance of sleep (and of taking naps in the day, if people need them) the BBC happens to have focused on NATS (he UK's national air traffic control service). They say how important it is for their air traffic controllers to not be tired, and get enough shut-eye. NATS says staying alert for them "can be a matter of life or death" and they have an "entire department dedicated to this question" because they are "responsible for one of the busiest stretches of airspace in the world, over London." At their centre at Swanwick there is a "dormitory room where those on night duty are encouraged to get two hours' kip in the early hours."We want them to be at the very top of their game at 5-6am, when the arrivals are starting to come into Heathrow." And that is all great. Except it ignores the inconvenient fact that the work NATS does is routing planes late at night (sometimes until 11.30pm or midnight) at Heathrow, and again from 5am (with a few even before 5am. That is sleeping time for most people living under flight paths, whose sleep is being disturbed. By the activities of NATS. The negative impacts of not getting enough sleep are many, including poor concentration, depression, reduced alertness, less good memory - and many other impacts. Ironic?
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Rivals Frankfurt and Heathrow airports are both resistant to more controls on noise
Heathrow is reluctant to agree to a proper ban on night flights - what it has offered is only on SCHEDULED flights, rather than any flights. It fears its airlines would lose money, and that rivals do not have such a ban. But Frankfurt has had, since 2012, a ban of flights between 11pm and 5am (and restriction of only 133 flights between 10pm and 11pm, and 5am to 6am per day). Airlines using Frankfurt also do not like the night flight ban, and complain it damages the competitiveness of Frankfurt. The Hessian Ministry of Economy and Transport has presented plans for noise ceilings, including a limit on the number of takeoffs and landings if noise limits are not achieved for two years in a row. A spokesperson for BARIG (the airlines) described the proposals as incomprehensible. This all sounds so like Heathrow: “The plans regarding noise ceilings are jeopardising the role of Frankfurt and Germany as important aviation locations ... The consequence of further restrictions would be that airlines have to evaluate more critically than before whether Frankfurt remains to be part of their network in the future." And so on. So Heathrow and Frankfurt would be similar - but each is scared of the other airport doing better.
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Belfast City residents welcome Minister’s action on City Airport inquiry’s noise recommendations
Residents affected by aircraft noise from George Best Belfast City Airport have welcomed confirmation by the Minister for Infrastructure in Northern Ireland, Chris Hazzard, that he has instructed officials to work towards full implementation of the recommendations of a crucial public inquiry report. The airport had been seeking significant changes to its planning agreement which would have greatly increased permissible noise levels, with a serious impact on up to 18,000 residents, while also removing an annual cap on the number of aircraft seats from the airport offered for sale. The report by the Planning Appeals Commission (PAC) recommended that the so-called ‘seats for sale’ cap should be removed, but also recommended noise control measures which, if implemented, would mean permissible noise levels won’t be as high as they would have been under the airport’s proposal. Belfast City Airport Watch said they would have preferred no relaxation of noise controls but welcome the full implementation of the PAC’s recommendations. That means the 57dB noise contour would be reduced from 7.5 sq km to 5.2 sq km, but BACW argues for 4.2 sq km.
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Hacan shows numbers of Heathrow flights over London boroughs – Hounslow & Richmond the worst
HACAN has produced a short paper looking at just how much the London boroughs, to the east of Heathrow, are affected by its noise. Using figures from Heathrow's own data, it can be worked out how many planes (take offs and landings) fly over each area in a year. The study did not look at areas west of Heathrow, like Windsor, which are also very badly affected - largely by take offs. The wind blows approximately 70% of the time from the west, so that is when Heathrow is on "westerly operations". HACAN's research shows - predictably - that Hounslow is the most overflown. It gets the noise from all arrivals from the east, on both runways. It also gets all departures towards the east. That is around 240,000 per year - ie. half of all flights using Heathrow. Richmond is close behind in second place, with nearly as many (slightly fewer take offs). The boroughs of Lambeth, Southwark are close behind. A map of the London boroughs shows why this is. Other boroughs in London get not only the noise of Heathrow arrivals, but planes using London City airport too. These boroughs - especially Waltham Forest, and Southwark - suffer from both, and are therefore high on the list of the areas suffering the most planes overhead per year.
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Gatwick Obviously NOT has decided its JR against the CAA has more than done its job, and have ceased the process
In March 2015, the local group "Gatwick Obviously NOT" and Martin Baraud served a Judicial Review on the CAA, with Gatwick and the Secretary of State for Transport listed under the CAA as an ‘Interested Party'. This was because of changes to flight paths to the east of Gatwick during and since summer 2014. The JR was allowed in January 2016, and large sums of money were raised from local people, who were now being badly affected - for the first time - by plane noise. The JR concerned an alleged failure by the CAA to ensure appropriate consultation was carried out in relation to changes in air traffic control procedures for aircraft arriving at Gatwick Airport from the east. GON now say they will cease the process, which has been on hold for the past year, as it has done its job. Their QC, John Steel, said to Martin Baraud: "You have won in all but law…This is therefore both a factual and practical result which has been achieved by the JR and subsequent negotiations, which would never otherwise have been obtained had the JR not been pursued. You have achieved all that you set out to achieve and more, in effect." The CAA and the DfT have agreed to make some changes to the way flight path changes are introduced, as a result of this JR - though a lot remains to be done.
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Teddington Action Group on the new NATS, airlines etc campaign – “Sky’s the Limit” or Pie in the Sky?
In their blog, the Teddington Action Group (TAG) say the intention of the aviation industry to vastly increase the numbers of flights, while miraculously reducing the number of people affected by noise, is nonsense. TAG says the Government needs to stop, take stock and remember that aviation demand must be managed rather than increased. Recently the ‘Sky’s the Limit’ campaign was launched by NATS (the partly privatised air navigation service) with airlines and airports. It hopes people will believe that the UK airspace is facing gridlock because the projected number of flights per year could be 3 million by 2030. But, don’t worry folks, the problem can be solved by airspace modernisation or the Future Airspace Strategy (FAS). By designing new routes with steeper climbs and descents, and aircraft flying routes with greater accuracy (i.e. concentrated flight paths), NATS will be able to pack in more and more flights (= more profit) - with fewer people impacted by noise. NATS keeps very quiet about the impact on those unfortunate enough to live under the concentrated routes whose lives and communities will be blighted. Do we really want children in schools round Heathrow having to shelter in earthquake huts in their playgrounds, to avoid the deafening roar of aircraft? The demand of frequent flyers for more choice and cheaper flights cannot justify the burden of noise inflicted on affected communities along Heathrow flight paths.