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Minister Confirms Runway Alternation will continue at Heathrow

Aviation Minister Theresa Villiers has confirmed that runway alternation – the practice whereby flights landing at Heathrow switch runways at 3pm to give residents in the boroughs close to Heathrow respite from the noise – will continue. Below is her response to a Parliamentary Question from Zac Goldsmith.

On 16th June, in Parliament, Zac Goldsmith (Richmond Park, Conservative): asked the Secretary of State: "Will the Secretary of State confirm that he will protect runway alternation at Heathrow?". Transport Secretary, Theresa Villiers (Conservative) replied: "I can give that confirmation. We support the current protections of runway alternation. We defeated Labour's proposals for mixed mode when we were in opposition, and we will not revive them now that we are in government." Hansard

HACAN had a constructive meeting with Theresa Villiers last month where she confirmed that the new Government commitment no further expansion at Heathrow and that, more generally, it is seeking to move away from the aggressively expansionist aviation policy pursued by the previous Government.

Government Seeks a ‘Better Not Bigger’ Heathrow

The Government has set up a working party to look at ways of creating a better, not bigger Heathrow. It will look at how introducing more efficient ways to run the airport so that delays and queues can be cut.

HACAN has long argued that a ‘better not bigger’ Heathrow would work for both business and the environment. Read the latest HACAN report.

Transport Secretary Says Domestic Flights Should Become a ‘Thing of the Past’

The Transport Secretary Philip Hammond told the Financial Times in an interview that domestic flights should become a thing of the past. He was attached in a very predicable way by sections of the aviation industry. Read the full story.

End Domestic Flights Event

The Campaign Against Climate Change is staging an imaginative event on Saturday 4th September calling for an end to domestic flights with rallies in London and Manchester and, for those who to travel, a train journey in-between! For more details.

Unanimous opposition to more Heathrow Flights at London Assembly

The London Assembly has unanimously called for a ban on any increase in the number of flights operating from BAA’s London airports. The Assembly expressed concern that, following the Government’s decision to scrap the third runway, BAA may try to squeeze more flights on to the existing runways. Murad Qureshi AM, who proposed today’s motion, said: “Axing the proposed third runway at Heathrow has come as a tremendous relief to the hundreds of thousands of Londoners whose health and quality of life would have been damaged by the expansion of the airport. But that relief should not be undermined by any back door attempt to increase the number of flights using existing runways at Heathrow or Stansted”.

Read the Assembly’s press release.

HACAN Comment:

HACAN welcomes this cross-party opposition from the London Assembly to more flights at Heathrow. The new Government kept its promise to drop a third runway but the situation for residents under the existing flight paths remains very difficult, with, at times, a plane passing over every 90 seconds. The number of planes flying over London and the surrounding areas means that people living many miles from the airport can be plagued by aircraft noise – see the video further down this page. In some parts of London people are disturbed by aircraft from both City Airport and Heathrow. Now that the battle against the 3rd runway has been won, HACAN will be turning its attention to campaigning for improvements for people living under the existing flight paths.

New Government Pledges to Drop Third Runway

The new Government has pledged to drop a third runway at Heathrow. The pledge is contained in the environment section of the coalition agreement between the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats released today. The agreement also promises to block new runways at Stansted and Gatwick.

Read the environment section of the coalition agreement.

As BAA Officially Scraps Plans

On 25th May BAA announced it was officially scrapped plans for both a third runway at Heathrow and a second runway at Stansted. They issued a statement saying “Yesterday BAA issued a statement saying “in response to the new Government's 'Coalition Agreement', Heathrow Airport today announces that it will stop work on the planning application for a third runway.”

New Report: Aircraft noise is no longer just a West London problem

A major study has been published by HACAN which outlines practical measures which would reduce aircraft noise for countless numbers of people living under the Heathrow arrivals flight paths. The study was commissioned in response to the increasing number of complaints about Heathrow noise HACAN received from people living many miles away from the airport and who used not to be affected. The study, carried out for HACAN by the Aviation Environment Federation (AEF), concentrated on those places some distance from Heathrow where aircraft noise has only become a serious problem in the last decade or so. During this time aircraft noise has steadily got worse in areas such as Vauxhall, Clapham, Brixton, South East London, Docklands, parts of North London and, to the west of the airport, places beyond Windsor. The report has identified the reasons why this has happened and suggests remedies. Some of these remedies, such as a steeper approach path, would also benefit areas closer to Heathrow. The report found that the major reason for the spread and increase of the noise lies in the fact that aircraft have started joining their final approach to Heathrow much further out than previously. For many years planes coming from the east used to start their final approach in West London in the Barnes area. But from 1996 onwards they increasingly have joined their final approach path many miles further east. This has resulted in a concentration of flights over areas such as Stockwell and Vauxhall – see the video further down this page. The report recommends three things: 1 the introduction of a steeper approach path (glideslope); 2 the introduction of curved CDA approaches; and 3 the Government reconsiders its policy of concentrating flight paths when aircraft are landing.

Read the full report

Read the HACAN press release

Aircraft Noise is a Problem Many Miles From Heathrow

Aircraft Noise has become a big problem for people living a long way from Heathrow. Check out our brand-new video, shot in Vauxhall, almost 20 miles from Heathrow.