The UK Department for Transportation opened consultation concerning night flight restrictions for Gatwick, Stansted, and Heathrow airports, currently available to residents and businesses wishing to continue with the existing night flight scheme to Heathrow, Stansted, and Gatwick airports.
The night flight restrictions consultation
Since the 1960s, there have been night flight restrictions at Heathrow, Stansted, and Gatwick airports, always having in consideration the balance between the limit of night time noise from aircraft and the balance of the economy of aviation- in Civil Aviation Act 1982 section 78 demonstrated night-hours restrictions. Since 1993, restrictions have been limited to the quantity of noise quota that airports can utilise during the night period from 23:30 to 06:00 at Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted airports, with some exceptions being made for reasons like VIP or humanitarian flights or emergencies, according to GOV.UK.
With the previous consultation held in 2021, it was decided to carry the same limits of night flight restrictions for 3 years, from October 2022 to October 2025. The consultation serves as a way for residents and businesses to express their concerns regarding noise, with expectations to maintain limitations on flight services at the times of 11:30 pm and 6 am.
The significance of night flight operations and oppositions
The UK government describes its understanding of night flight operations at global and influential airports such as Stansted, Heathrow and Gatwick. Furthermore, it demonstrates an understanding of the effect of aircraft noise on residents, especially at night. With the study of The Aviation Night Noise Effects (ANNE), which was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it will be finally possible to prove crucial data on aviation noise’s impact on people’s sleep and disturbance. The results of this study aim to influence the decision to restrict night starting in October 2025.
With the evolution of aviation and technology, it is possible to observe nowadays a more controlled noise level from aircraft, helping to reduce the noise impact on residents. It is important to understand that night flights benefit airports by creating additional aviation jobs while providing flights for passengers who may have night shift emergencies or need to catch the flight for a certain unexpected reason. If the existing flight night services structure persists, it may resolve to be beneficial for both residents and businesses.
Chair of Stop Heathrow Expansion, Justine Bayley, explained
“So many people around Heathrow hear nighttime aircraft noise, the scheduled night flights for another three years is not good. We deserve eight hours of sleep per night, uninterrupted by noise from scheduled and unscheduled night flights.”
The full consultation can be found on the government’s official website by clicking on this link. To answer the consultation questions, interested parties may follow the steps through the following link.
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