Row over night flight plans
08.07.09
Campaign group Stop Bristol Airport Expansion (SBAE), who are fighting the expansion plans by Bristol Airport, have said that night-time noise will increase if the development is approved, the Bath Chronicle reports. But the group has been accused of scare mongering by the airport, who say that they do not plan to increase night flights.
The airport has submitted a planning application for a £150m expansion, designed to cope with a projected increase in the number of passengers using the airport annually from 6m to 10m by 2019. Flights by commercial aircraft would increase from about 60,000 in 2008 to about 86,000 a year – with 5 or 6 flights more per hour in the hours of 18:00 - 23:00.
SBAE says that there could be up to 21 flights a night on the busiest summer nights, when people's windows are open and sleep is often difficult. It says that, although the airport has to keep within a noise quota, because modern planes are quieter, more flights can be accommodated within the ceiling. Over the past few years night flights have averaged 3,200 per year, but SBAE says the expansion proposals would allow a rise to as much as 4,500.
But airport spokesman James Gore said no relaxation of the current system which limits night flights has been proposed. He told the newspaper: ‘In fact, an additional night movement cap has been suggested to provide additional reassurance on this issue. There is no headroom within this for an increase in night flying, nor do we see an increase as necessary to achieve the airport's development plans.'
Add to: del.icio.us | Digg it | Newsvine | NowPublic | Reddit
To book a bristol airport hotel or bristol airport car park at the lowest price, click on these links to two great bristol airport car parking and bristol airport hotel price comparison pages
