Noise News
Below are links to stories about noise in relation to airports and aviation.
Changes brought in by NATS on February 4th means new noise ghettos in east London
On 4th February, NATS implemented the first phase of its LAMP (London Airspace Management Programme). It says this was approved by the CAA in November 2015. It means that routes into and out of London City airport will be altered, and routes will be concentrated – using PR-NAV (precision navigation). The changes involve use of a “point merge” system for arrivals, with the joining points to the ILS out at sea. They will mean all the planes from Westerly departures will be routed over for Bow, Leyton, Leytonstone, Wanstead, Redbridge, Barkingside, Collier Row and Harold Hill. For Easterly departures, all the planes will be routed over Barking Riverside, Dagenham, Elm park and Hornchurch. And for Easterly arrivals, all the planes will be routed over Bexley, Sidcup, New Eltham, Mottingham, Catford, Dulwich Village, Herne Hill, Brixton, Stockwell and Vauxhall. The changes are described by NATS in glowing terms – about “more efficient flights, saving fuel and reducing CO2 emissions, reducing noise, keeping aircraft higher for longer and minimising areas regularly overflown.” And, of course, enabling more flights to be crammed into crowded airspace – to enable the aviation industry to increase the number of flights. HACAN East is talking to its lawyers about a JR against the CAA for failure to consult.
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First EU-wide report on aviation’s environmental impacts shows growing challenges
A new report by European environment and aviation agencies – the European Aviation Environmental Report – has been published, by the European Environment Agency, and EASA. The aim of the initiative is to "monitor, promote and strengthen the EU’s efforts for a more sustainable European aviation sector." The report looks at a range of issues for European aviation, including its noise impact, its carbon emissions, and local air quality. It is aware that "the historic rate of improvement in various areas (e.g. technology and design) has not kept pace with past growth in the demand for air travel leading to increased overall pressures (e.g. emissions, noise) on the environment, and this trend is forecast to continue." The report is aware that future growth of the sector, out to 2035, will require environmental improvements. On noise, the report says around 5 million people in Europe were exposed to aircraft noise levels above 55 dBA Lden in 2012. While average jet aircraft noise decreased by around 4 dB per decade since 1960, the improvement has recently slowed to 2 dB per decade. On carbon emissions, the report says CO2 emissions from aviation have increased by around 77% between 1990 and 2005 and a further 5% from 2005 to 2014. They are likely to rise by a further 45% up to 2035. They note that biofuel development has been slow, and that a market based mechanism for global aviation carbon emissions is needed.
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CAGNE fears Arrivals Review proposal to change joining point to ILS could bring noise misery for many
CAGNE is a group set up to support residents, especially those in west Sussex, affected by Gatwick's operations to the west of the airport. While welcoming many of the recommendations by the Gatwick Arrivals Review, published last week, CAGNE is concerned about some recommendations. The Review proposed that when there is no wind, or light wind only, that the airport operates more flights on easterly operations (meaning landings approach from the west, and take off the east). CAGNE fears this would expose more residents well to the west of Gatwick to more arrivals noise. The Review also recommended that arrivals should join the ILS (the final straight line approach to the runway) nearer to the runway. In 2013, the CAA changed the distance of the joining point from around 7 - 12 nautical miles out to around 10 - 12 nautical miles, claiming this was for safety. The Review suggests returning this to 8 nautical miles. The impact of this would be that people living 7 - 9 nautical miles or so (about 8 - 10 miles) from the runway would suffer more noise. Some of these people have either not had plane noise before, or not had it for two or three years. Most of the people affected will be unaware of the proposed change, and they have not been consulted. CAGNE wants to raise awareness of the proposed change, and ensure people know the details of how they would be affected - so they can comment.
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Compensation debate delays government decision on taxiway works to allow end to Cranford agreement
The Government is still considering Heathrow's appeal over taxiway works needed to enable more departures over Cranford. The taxiway works are needed to enable scheduled easterly take-offs from the northern runway, which were previously banned under the Cranford Agreement. This verbal agreement was made 60 years ago, that planes would not take off towards the east, from the northern runway. On easterly operations, planes all therefore take off on the southern runway, and all planes land on the northern runway. The Cranford Agreement was ended by the government in 2009. But though Heathrow can have a small number of take offs from the northern runway, it needs to do taxiway work, in order to use it fully. Hillingdon Council has refused permission for this work, partly due to air pollution fears, and hence the Heathrow appeal. It Heathrow wins the appeal, and the work is done, there could be roughly 35,000 extra flights a year over Cranford (but no increase in the overall 480,000 flights per year at Heathrow). The ending of the Cranford agreement would mean less noise for some areas, but more for others. The delay is due to debate over compensation, help with relocation, or insulation for affected householders.
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“Independent Arrivals Review” for Gatwick airport, published by Bo Redeborn and Graham Lake
The Gatwick Airport Arrivals Review, led by Bo Redeborn and Graham Lake, carried out for the airport, has been published. The purpose of the review was: "To make sure everything that can reasonably be done to alleviate issues raised by the local community is being done." and "To understand if the way Gatwick communicates with and provides information to the local community, including the handling of complaints, is fully adequate." The review set out some practical steps to slightly reduce the noise problems being experienced, including increasing CDA, reducing "stacking", setting up an independently chaired noise management board, and improving the noise complaints system - among other things. However, Gatwick's welcome for the review is carefully worded; the normal weasel words are in there. Such as: "Gatwick Airport has welcomed the report and its recommendations and will examine the report’s conclusions with a view to proceeding with as many of them as possible in the shortest practicable time." And "There is no silver bullet that will ever eliminate the problem of aircraft noise but taken together I believe that these measures can make a real difference." And "We want to act as soon as possible on these recommendations so people can start to feel the difference but we cannot do so alone."
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People living with Edinburgh airport plane noise adamant that changes to routes persist
The new campaign group, Stop Edinburgh Airspace Trial (SEAT), was set up last year in response to the suddenly increased noise from the TUTUR trial that started in June 2015 over some areas. They say Edinburgh Airport is planning to impose a “new airspace regime” on the area surrounding it – effectively a secret flight path. The purpose of TUTUR was to see if the airport could increase capacity by cutting the departure interval between flights from two minutes to one. However, people living beneath it have attacked the airport’s lack of transparency. Helena Paul, from SEAT said Edinburgh Airport failed to adequately communicate about the TUTUR experiment with communities." She also said there were concerns that data from airport-positioned noise monitors would “not adequately reflect the disturbance on the ground”. The trial was stopped 2 months early after nearly 8,000 complaints. Yet SEAT members say they are still hearing about new problems with noise being experience by residents across West Lothian and into Fife. There are complaints that planes are more frequent, lower and louder. But the airport says: “Aircraft have been flying in and out of Edinburgh Airport on the same routes for 40 years; they are not flying any lower or louder than they did in the past." This a now familiar pattern - residents and airports not agreeing. The airport will publicise the results of the trial later this month.
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Continuing anger in Chicago about large number of night flights over new areas, due to new runway
Changes to Chicago O'Hare flight paths were made from October 2013 when flight were shifted to being mainly over suburbs north and south of the airport to mostly areas east and west of it. The airport has 8 runways, and is slowly closing the diagonal ones and opening new east-west ones to accommodate more flights. There are numerous night flights - perhaps as many as 19 between 11.30pm and 6am on one night. People whose sleep is repeatedly interrupted by plane noise are angry and criticised the Chicago Aviation Commissioner for her failure to stop and listen to the complaints from affected communities. She does at least attend noise commission meetings, but has left every meeting before the public comment section. People feel this is indicative of how the citizens of Chicago have been treated and ignored. The Aviation Commission is looking at proposals to spread night noise, by rotating O’Hare runways used at night on a regular basis and using less populated flight corridors. However, city consultants have made clear that the current number of flights from 6 -7am and from 10 -11pm demand more runways than voluntary "fly-quiet" rules require. Therefore, they say different fly-quiet rules should be established for those hours.
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AEF report finds UK’s out-of-date aircraft noise policies putting the health of over one million people at risk
A new report by the AEF has identified that the Government’s aircraft noise policies are risking the health of over one million people and an urgent policy rethink is needed ahead of runway decisions in 2016. Aircraft noise is associated with increased risk of increased blood pressure, and higher risk of heart attack, heart disease and stroke. Health is also detrimentally affected through sleep disturbance and annoyance. Aircraft noise impedes the memory and learning ability of school children. The UK's aircraft noise policy has not been updated in line with this mounting evidence base, with some noise policies based on studies dating back to the early 1980s. The Government’s lack of response to emerging evidence on noise may be costing the UK £540 million each year.The noise problem is particularly acute at Heathrow, including many affected schools, but there are serious problems at many other airports too. The health burden is not just experienced close to airports, with high levels of noise miles from the runway. The current policy on flight paths does not consider the impact of sudden changes, or the health impacts of newly affected communities. The report calls for the Government to act now to reduce the health burden from aircraft noise. Long-term noise targets are needed to protect health, and all noise policies should be reviewed in the light of these targets. A new runway should only be permitted if the noise burdens are reduced.
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Anger at disgraceful failure of the CAA or London City Airport to consult properly on flight path changes
In a blog about the disgraceful failure of London City Airport and the CAA to consult properly on changes to flight paths, John Stewart explains just how unjust this is. The CAA allowed London City Airport to concentrate all its flight paths without any meaningful consultation with residents. In effect, the changes will mean the creation of noise ghettos, from 4th February 2016. The approximately 70% of the time, when the wind is westerly, Bow, Leyton, Leytonstone, etc will get all the departures from the airport, and Thamesmead will get arrivals. The 30% of the time with easterly winds, departures will go over Barking Riverside, Dagenham and Hornchurch, and arrivals will go over Sidcup, New Eltham, etc. Most of these communities have not been informed about the changes, or the noise to which they will be subjected to. In 2014 London City carried out the most minimalist of consultations and said the changes were not significant. Before Christmas, the CAA agreed with City Airport that the change was not significant. Hacan East believes the changes are very significant. The recent report by Helios seriously criticised the CAA for its inadequate consultations. Hacan East says the CAA has let people affected by London City Airport down badly, and there has been injustice. "As Thomas Jefferson might have said, “When injustice becomes law, rebellion becomes duty.” "
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Judge in Phoenix, Arizona, orders mediation between FAA and City in flight path dispute
In June, the City of Phoenix, Arizona, sued the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) over flight path changes – part of NextGen – that have led to aircraft noise that has been plaguing parts of the city and historic neighbourhoods. The noise problem started in September 2014 when the FAA implemented the new flight paths. There were suddenly thousands of noise complaints, with anger at the noise and its impacts on health and quality of life, and impact on house prices. The City authorities said the FAA didn't properly study how the change would impact residents. The City has tried to resolve the issues with the FAA, but without success. Now a judge has ordered that the FAA and City of Phoenix try and work out an agreement in mediation, which might avoid a lengthy legal battle. Many residents would like to see flight paths reverting to how they were before August 2014, but that may be unlikely. However the mediation is not binding, which means without an agreement, the issue could head back to court.