HOPES RISE FOR A BREAK FROM THE NOISE
2/12/21
At a meeting of its Consultative Committee today London City and NATS unveiled their very initial plans for the redesign of London City’s airspace and flight paths. They are still at a conceptual stage. We are pleased that respite is front and central to the plans. There is also a desire to be able to keep the planes higher for longer on arrival and to climb more quickly on departure. To a large extent, that will depend on the Heathrow being higher. The two airports are working together.
The conceptual plans were much more creative than we were expecting, with a number of imaginative options being considered.
A bit of background
Airspace is changing at all airports. London City and NATS are doing this as part of airspace changes which are being introduced at all UK airports as part of a worldwide move away from ground-based technology to satellite technology to guide aircraft.
A new type of route being introduced: These new PBN (Performance Based Navigation) routes will be narrow and very precise. They will allow more aircraft to use an airport, save the airlines time and fuel and cut CO2 per plane. Done well, there are also potential benefits for communities.
Co-ordination with other airports. A relatively new body called ACOG is coordinating the changes. This is particularly important in London and the SE which has so many airports and some of the busiest airspace in the world. The actual routes, though, are being drawn up by the airports in conjunction with NATS
What happens nex
The process is a lengthy one:
London City is looking for feedback from members of the Consultative Committee (including local authorities) by mid-January 2022.
It will take those comments into account and revise its draft plans. Those revised plans will be presented to the Committee at its March meeting.
The airport will submit these revised plans to the CAA for approval.
If approved, London City and NATS will then draw up more detailed plans which will go out to full public consultation, probably in 2023.
These will then be revised in light of the consultation and presented to the CAA.If approved, work will then start in putting the new routes in place. It could be 2026/7 before they are finally operational but it could be earlier.
PRESS RELEASE
Embargoed until 6/11/21
CLIMATE COP QUIZ ON PRIVATE JETS
To mark the Climate Summit in Glasgow – COP 26 – campaign group HACAN East has issued a quiz (1) about private jets which many of the official delegates to the Summit will be using.
HACAN East, which gives a voice to residents under the London City Airport flight paths, has released the quiz to coincide with aviation climate-related events from campaign groups from around the world, being coordinated by Stay Grounded (2). The themes highlighted by the events are ‘greenwashing’ and the need to tackle flight numbers.
HACAN East Coordinator John Stewart said, “Our fun quiz has a serious side. It is intended to show just how bad for the climate private jets are. And, of course, London City is one of the main private jet airports in the UK.”
Did you know that:
· London has more private jet hire than any other airport in Europe
· Between 2005 & 2019 European CO2 emissions from private jets rose by almost a third
· A typical 4 hour private jet flight emits as much CO2 as the average person does in a year
· And that in 2020 Donald Trump spent the most on private jet hire
ENDS
Notes for Editors
(1). Link to the full quiz:
Link to a video of the quiz: https://youtu.be/EljaHeKmrSc
(2). https://stay-grounded.org/events/stay-grounded-action-day-against-greenwashing-of-air-traffic/
For more information: John Stewart on 07957385650; Ray Stewart (Stay Grounded UK); uk@stay-grounded.org; +44(0)7708794665
'Airport being disingenuous'
4/09/21
Campaigners have accused London City Airport of being disingenuous over claims that the new aircraft which made its first commercial flight to the airport last night is 63% quieter on take-off.
John Stewart, chair HACAN East, , said, "London City's claims are disingenous. The 63% reduction in take-off noise only applies to people living within about a couple of miles of the airport. The noise benefits for other residents are much smaller."
The airport has said that the Embraer E190-E2 also uses 20%less fuel.
LONDON CITY TO RESUME WORK FLIGHT PATHS
19/03/21
The Government has just allocated £5.5m to help airports design their new PBN flights paths. It will enable London City to resume work on reassessing its controversial 2016 concentrated flight paths. We understand that London City will start drawing up options which, in due course, will be put out to public consultation: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/55-million-to-drive-improvements-to-uks-motorways-in-the-sky
INDEPENDENT NOISE WATCHDOG PUBLISHES FUTURE PLANS
19/03/21
ICCAN, the independent aircraft noise watchdog, has published its future plans. It very much sees itself as trying to ensure that residents experience less noise, get consistent treatment from airports across the country and that noise is taken account of in all decisions: https://iccan.gov.uk/
PETITION AGAINST NIGHT FLIGHTS
4/1/21
The Aviation Communities Forum today launched a national petition calling on the Secretary of State to ban night flights at all UK airports. Sign the Petition! http://chng.it/svWBGP5B via @UKChange. London City Airport doesn’t have night flights but many people in East, North East and South East London are impacted by Heathrow night flights. The petition coincides with a Department for Transport consultation on night flights: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/night-flight-restrictions-at-heathrow-gatwick-and-stansted-airports-between-2022-and-2024-plus-future-night-flight-policy/night-flight-restrictions
