Heathrow night flights impact on sleep
18-04-2013
The number of night flights at Heathrow Airport should be reduced or stopped to prevent local residents losing sleep, according to the London Assembly, in statements made during the ongoing consultation on the issue.
Currently there are fifteen arrivals at the airport between the hours of 23:30 and 06:00, with the majority coming from the east. Splitting the arrivals evenly would improve the situation for around 110,000 residents, but worsen it for some 15,600. The existing conditions for night flights prevents the use of the noisiest aircraft and sets specific noise ‘quotas’, but the impact on sleep quality for those in the flight paths remains significant.
“It’s unacceptable that thousands of Londoners are unable to get a good night’s sleep,” said Murad Qureshi from the London Assembly. “Heathrow is very critical to the local economy, but what we have to do is manage this trade-off between economic benefits and people’s quality of life.”
The policy is set to be clarified next year, following consultation.
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