Noise News
Below are links to stories about noise in relation to airports and aviation.
Health Protection Agency to take on some responsibility on noise & health from Dept of Health
The Health Protection Agency (HPA) announced in mid October that it will be taking on some aspects of noise and health responsibilities from the Department of Health, including transport noise. This will include looking at metrics and evidence of health impacts. There is a public comment period that will run until mid-January 2013 based on the workplan they have produced, to help formulate the HPA's remit in this area. The HPA says noise is a public health and economic problem for society; also that may have a role in promotion of a good acoustic environment if benefits to health can be proved; and that "With appropriate resources and lead times HPA could develop/ provide separate independent scientific advice on noise and health." The BMA produced a report in July 2012 entitled "Healthy Transport = Healthy Lives" that mentions the health impacts of aircraft noise.
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Sir Howard Davies suggests payouts might be given to people under flightpaths
The Standard reports that Sir Howard Davies suggested, at the launch of the Airports Commission, that cash compensation could be paid to west London residents if a 3rd Heathrow runway is built. He would look at whether financial payments should be given to people under the flightpaths if Heathrow, Gatwick or Stansted expansion took place. He said: “There are examples in other countries of different kinds of compensation arrangements which have been used, and that is certainly something we are going to look at.” and “I am conscious that allowing a lot of options to run does create the risk of planning blight ... and I don’t want to alarm people who have no need to be alarmed.” He also said the 2013 interim report by the Commission will be much more significant than previously expected and narrow down the rival options to a shortlist of “realistic” schemes, ending the anxiety of people living near more marginal sites. The 2013 interim report will also make recommendations on immediate ways to boost capacity in the south east, possibly including mixed-mode operation at Heathrow or night flights.
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Heathrow Operational Freedoms trials, the A380 and impact of its vortex on smaller planes following it
The A380, being such a massive plane, and classed as a "Super" by weight - above the next category of "Heavy" creates a greater vortex behind it. Therefore there have to be significant separation distances between A380s and planes following them, especially smaller planes. In the Heathrow Operational Freedoms trials, one of the changes they are looking at involves landing Airbus A380 on the designated departures runway (this means that those living under the approach flight paths are having planes overhead during the part of the day that should be their "quiet" time). The A380 is the biggest aircraft that operates at the airport. Due to the vortex it produces, aircraft behind it have to allow a greater distance when coming into land. The knock-on effect is that the arrivals programme can be delayed allowing for the A380 to come in before smaller aircraft can then make their approach to land. The airport is testing what difference it would make to the arrival schedule by allowing the aircraft to land on the departure runway. Heathrow hopes to use more larger planes, to deal with ever more passengers. This A380 effect could be a problem.
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As many as 8,000 in Frankfurt airport protest to mark 1st anniversary of opening of 4th runway
On Sunday, a year after the opening of the 4th runway at Frankfurt airport, thousands protested peacefully against the increasing noise in the region. There may have been as many as 8,000 people there. On a bright autumn day they assembled by the fence next to the runway and showed their anger partly by making loud music. They are demanding planned construction of a new third airport terminal to be ceased. They are also demanding the closure of the 4th runway, and an extension of the ban on night flights from 22:00 and 06:00 in the morning. The government insist that the expansion of the airport provides opportunities for economic growth. However, they realise they have a real problem with aircraft noise and the extent of persistent citizen opposition. In the past week,three new measures had been adopted on noise, including an increase in the angle of approach and an increase in altitude. The protesters to not intend to give up their opposition.
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Heathrow complaints unit too busy to deal with complaints
Heathrow Airport's noise complaints unit are so inundated that they have given up providing individual responses to disgruntled residents. Someone who complained has this response from Heathrow: ‘Thank you for your email and I hope this finds you well. Unfortunately due to the high volume of complaints we are receiving at the moment, we are currently unable to provide detailed individual responses. We aspire to providing individual responses in future.” Complaints about BAA’s ‘operational freedoms trial – which allows the airport operator to use runways simultaneously under certain circumstances – are soaring in Hammersmith & Fulham, and elsewhere. Many have found that since July the incoming plane noise has been horrendous, and much worse than usual. BAA should not try to ignore this massive groundswell of opinion and residents need more detailed answers from BAA about what has gone wrong with their trial.
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Thousands overflown by Heathrow ready to fight if the Conservatives resurrect expansion plans
Article by Gwyn Topham, on the noise issue at Heathrow. Hounslow'sdeputy leader of the council, Colin Ellar, points out: "The impact on hundreds of thousands of people is undersold, under-reported, never stated." "What we would really like is the mitigation of noise." Just in Hounslow there are dozens of schools badly affected by noise, with a plane overhead for part of the day every 90 seconds, making teaching very difficult. BAA have provided some sound insulation, but not air conditioning - making rooms stifling in summer with windows closed. There is no sound insulation possible with open windows, or when outdoors. Prestigious office blocks can afford air conditioning as well as double glazing, but this is not offered for the homes of ordinary residents. There are some 750,000 people living under Heathrow's flight paths. Slight improvements in aircraft are not enough to make a significant difference to noise perception.
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Frankfurt airport protesters sleep in the airport terminal – as it is too noisy at home
Dozens of protesters at Frankfurt have held a sleep-in at the Departures Terminal at Frankfurt airport. Their protest is against the aircraft noise, which is causing an intolerable situation, and they say they cannot sleep in their own homes, due to noisy night flights. Their banners say "We cannot sleep at home: night flight ban from 10pm to 6am !" Many say their homes suffer 80 decibel noise at night, with 60 decibels indoors. Though there is meant to be a total ban on night flights between 23:00 to 05:00 almost every night there are late arrivals and departures or flight tests. The nights are not quiet. People say they cannot live on only 6 hours sleep per night, and that is not enough to perform properly at work or at school.
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Smartphone app trial to capture and map Heathrow flight noise
HACAN has teamed up with University College London (UCL) to enable local communities on the flight path into Heathrowto do something about the problem of noise pollution for themselves. A new free to download app, called Widenoise, on smart phones enables them to collect their own noise readings. Isleworth has been chosen as the project location because it is directly under the Heathrow flight path. The readings taken by the phones can then be mapped and the combined information shared by all. From the launch on 19th June, the project will run for 4 weeks, and local residents are being encouraged to take part. and send in readings. The project will include the first few weeks of the 'operational trials’ due to start on 1st July. It will give residents a really useful way measuring the impact of the trials.
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Ministers propose revisions to EU airport noise regulations
The European Commission is recommending the adoption of ICAO’s so-called "balanced approach" to replace existing regulation on noise management at the region’s airports. The EU Transport Ministers have recommended that the ICAO standards and EU best practice in noise management become European law in order to even out disparities between states and ensure that certain processes are adhered to where measures are taken to mitigate air traffic noise. For example, the EC has recommended that competent authorities should be able to focus on marginally compliant aircraft and phase them out first, instead of introducing general night flight bans, which also affect operators of much quieter aircraft.
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Heathrow night flights: Ministers to consider economic impact of sleep loss
The government says it will consider the economic impact of sleep disruption on people living near Heathrow in any review of night flights to the airport. Current rules, under which an average of between 14 and 16 flights land before 6am each day, were recently extended until October 2014. A Minister pledged to balance business and noise concerns in future. Campaigners are pressing for a ban on flights arriving before 6am - which come mainly from the Far East and the west coast of America - and a phased reduction in arrivals before 6am and 7am. Susan Kramer said: "Local residents are woken at 4am onwards not because of capacity issues at Heathrow but because of limits on departure schedules at other airports." HACAN commented: "We have, frankly, never believed the argument made by the airline industry that if 16 night flights were moved to daytime then the economy of London and the UK would collapse,"