Noise News
Below are links to stories about noise in relation to airports and aviation.
Heathrow chairman, Sir Nigel Rudd, hushes hubbub over 24/7 airport comment by Heathrow board member
A Heathrow Airport Board member, Akbar Al Baker, recently said Heathrow should have 24 hour flights, planes should be allowed to fly all night, and that Brits make an "excessive" fuss about aircraft noise. This has hugely embarrassed Heathrow, which has been trying hard to claim a 50% increase in flights will result in less noise ... square that one. Now, in response to the awkward and off-message remarks by Al Baker, Sir Nigel Rudd, chairman of Heathrow, said: “Mr Al-Baker’s views are his own and do not represent the views or policy of the Heathrow board or executive committee. We recognise that adding the flights Britain needs for growth must come hand in hand with reducing aircraft noise for residents. Round the clock flying from London is not an option. We take the concerns of local communities very seriously and have never argued for 24-hour flying.” Anti expansion campaigners were highly critical of the airport, and its need to urgently rush out reassuring comments due to the embarrassment caused by Mr Al-Baker putting his foot in it. Question is why Mr Al Baker was not aware that this, though revealing, was not a helpful or acceptable comment to make, from Heathrow's point of view.
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Heathrow Airport Board member, Akbar Al Baker, says Heathrow should have 24 hour flights
One of the Board members of Heathrow Airport is Akbar Al Baker, who is the CEO of Qatar Airways and led the development of the new Doha airport. He is on the Board because Qatar Holdings bought a 20% stake in Heathrow in 2012. He has caused a storm of protest after claiming, with stunning insensitivity and demonstating a woeful lack of understanding of British democracy, that Heathrow should have 24 hour flights - ignoring the well-being of those overflown. The benefit would be that his companies would be more profitable. Akbar Al Baker said Britons make an “excessive” fuss about noise levels from aircraft flying over their homes" and home owners living under flight paths “wouldn’t even hear the aircraft” after a while." He appears not to understand that in Europe, unpopular and damaging major developments cannot just be steamrollered through, as they perhaps can be in the Gulf States. Mr Al Baker thinks European airports should open 24 hours a day if they want to compete with the emerging Gulf hubs in Dubai and Doha. Though rapidly denied by Heathrow, which distanced itself from Mr Al Baker's comments, it is indicative of a way of thought which people may fear is prevalent on the Heathrow board.
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Over 4,000 take part in Frankfurt’s 100th protest evening – including supporters from Heathrow and Gatwick
The 4th runway at Frankfurt airport was opened in October 2011. The flightpaths for this runway overfly thousands of residents in the Frankfurt, many of whom had not previously been overflown. They suddenly found the noise of aircraft overhead every few minutes, relentlessly (day after day, week after week) for most of the day intolerable. Other areas were also affected by changes to flight paths. Ever since the opening, the people of Frankfurt have absolutely refused to accept this, and have campaigned continuously and relentlessly. They hold unique and remarkable protests, almost every Monday night, in the airport terminal. These are attended by well over 1,000 people, every time. On 19th May, the 100th airport terminal protest was held, with around 4,000 (maybe more) protesters. Some campaigners from the Heathrow and Gatwick campaigns went out (by train) to show solidarity and share this remarkable achievement with their German friends. John Stewart, Chair of HACAN and of AirportWatch, addressed the protest, saying they were making aviation history, and the tenacity, persistence and determination of the opposition to Frankfurt flights is increasingly a matter of concern to the aviation industry.
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What Heathrow’s 3rd runway proposal says on noise (not very convincing)
Heathrow's publicity document on its 3rd runway plans has quite a lot on noise, as Heathrow realises that the noise generated by its aircraft is a key political topic, and is perhaps the main issue that would stop the runway. Having a new runway would mean the number of annual flights could increase by up to 260,000 per year (compared to the current 470,000 or so). This would inevitably create a huge amount more noise. But by only considering the people within the loudest noise contours (noise averaged over many hours each day) - the 57dBALeq countour and the 55dbLden contour - and not those who experience aircraft noise, but not quite as loudy, Heathrow claims fewer people will experience noise. This is manifestly not the truth. There may be slightly fewer, by massaging the figures, in the noisiest contours. But there will be many more experiencing aircraft noise, if not at the most intense levels. Already people miles from the airport, outside any current contour, are troubled and disturbed by aircraft noise. The document provides various maps and charts to try and make their point. The concept of respite periods is key in Heathrow's attempts to win over the over-flown public, and those yet to be over-flown.
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Heathrow plans £550m sweetener which it hopes will head off opposition to 3rd runway
Heathrow airport says 950 homes in the Harmondsworth area would be demolished (compulsory purchase) if it got its north-west 3rd runway option. The media are talking about Heathrow offering substantial compensation for 750 homes. Link Heathrow is saying it will also pay large sums for sound insulation from a £550m fund and it would spend at least £250m on soundproofing homes and schools – compared with only £30m it has spent n the last 20 years. If Heathrow paid out at the level Gatwick has offered - £1,000 equivalent to Band A Council Tax - to each household within the 57dB contour, it would be about £245 million per year. However much sound insulation is put in, or however many financial sweeteners, the noise is still heard if the windows are open or if people are outdoors, eg in the garden. Heathrow is still trying to work out which is less unpopular - giving more noise compensation to fewer people, or less compensation to more. John Stewart, Chair of Hacan said of Heathrow's money offer: "Their newfound generosity is a clear sign that they are still not confident that they can get a third runway approved, agreed and built."
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Heathrow launches new “Webtrak My Neighbourhood” website to show flight path use over time periods
Heathrow has launched a new online tool allowing people to track the routes planes fly into and out of the airport. It is called "WebTrak My Neighbourhood", and is a different variant of the existing "Webtrak" that has existed for some years. The new "My Neighbourhood" version shows landings (red) and take-offs (green) and gives a % of the amount of flights that have used that flightpath, over the past month, or quarter, or year. It also shows what % of hours have been plane-free during that time. The "i" information button on each flight path gives more information, such as the breakdown of flights over a day, showing which hours were busiest. Heathrow says it is the 2nd airport (after Eindhoven) to use the technique. The airport hopes it will help keep residents better informed about their operations. It will also help people avoid living in areas which have a lot of flights. However, though the information is welcome, it does not actually have any effect on reducing the noise. Heathrow has the unenviable task of trying to persuade the public that the planes using an extra runway will, somehow, not mean any more aircraft noise ....
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Gatwick 2nd runway aircraft noise could threaten Hever Castle – it harms the visitor experience
Hever Castle - the childhood home of Anne Boleyn - near Edenbridge in Kent fears increased aircraft noise, from Gatwick planes, could deter people from visiting the attraction. The chief executive of Hever, Duncan Leslie, said: "If they increased aeroplanes I would be surprised if this business survived long term." The noise is already bad, though Gatwick is 21 miles away, and a 2nd runway could make the situation worse. Anne Boleyn, Henry VIII's second wife, lived at Hever, which dates back to 1270. The relentless aircraft noise, with planes some 3 - 4,000 feet overhead, detracts from the experience of Hever, and for much of the day with a westerly wind, there is a plane about once a minute. Alastair McDermid, Gatwick's airports commission director, said a new runway would be to the south of the existing one and would not necessarily increase noise at Hever. Gatwick is holding a consultation at present, and has done 16 exhibitions about it. However, they have chosen not to give any details on flight paths, which has caused a lot of annoyance.
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Green MEP Jean Lambert warns new European rules risk making London’s airports noisier
Green Party MEP, Jean Lambert, has warned that people under flight paths to all London's main airports could suffer increased noise level, especially at night. This is because the European Parliament has voted on revisions to EU rules dealing with airport noise which let economic interests override rules on noise. This will enable the European Commission to overrule flight restrictions - such as night bans - at airports. The change will leave many more people being subjected to the noise, pollution and all other miseries caused by planes. Jean said: "Instead of working to ensure stronger EU rules, to reduce the nuisance, pollution, health problems and safety risks posed by airports, the European Commission gave in to heavy lobbying from the aviation industry and the US administration". ....this...."takes on an added significance in the context of the UK Government's desire to cater for ever-increasing numbers of flights..... Instead, we need to reduce demand and explore how aviation could function within environmental limits."
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Residents fear Manchester longer operating hours will mean more noise
Manchester airport has decided to extend the operating hours of its second runway. The airport built a 2nd runway, back in 2001 when it thought there would be an expansion in demand. They forecast badly, the estimates were far too high, and the runway is barely used. The airport only had some 20.6 million passengers in 2013, while over 30 million could be accommodated on one runway. Now Manchester has decided to increase the hours when flights use the 2nd runway for 3 hours per day. The hours were 4pm to 8pm, but these will be increased to 1pm to 8pm from Monday to Saturday. The decision comes after a trial last summer, and will come into force on May 1st. The 2nd runway cannot be used from 10pm to 6am, to avoid noise to local residents. In 2013 Manchester airport had a 5.2% increase in passengers over 2012, the first time it got over the 20 million mark since 2007. Manchester hopes to have a direct flight to Hong Kong from December 2014. People are worried that the extra operating hours will mean an unpleasant increase in noise.
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Letter from a Gatwick flight path trial sufferer: “Home like bizarre noise experiment”
In a heart-felt letter to a local paper in Sussex, a resident who now finds herself - without warning - under a "trial" flight path from Gatwick airport describes how it is affecting her, and her means of earning her living at home. She says the planes start flying overhead before 6am, and continue to do so about every 5 minutes, or less, most of the day. She says, in desperation: "It’s like your home has been turned into some sort of bizarre noise experiment. Where you have no control. On some days you’re OK. The noise isn’t too bad. And on other days - it’s like getting an electric shock, every few minutes. Where you have no control. And it’s not just you – it’s your family as well .... everyone is tired, and ratty and distracted. And annoyed that they didn’t sleep well." Part of her work requires running a webinair, which is now interrupted by the plane noise. "That’s my work. That’s how I make a living. And I can’t even rely on the peace and quiet of my own home to be able to run my own business."