In a move that has sparked concerns among aviation campaigners, the UK government is proposing to accelerate reforms to the country’s airspace, a decision that could sideline public input on flight path changes, particularly around major airports like Heathrow.
The plans aim to modernise the UK’s airspace to allow for more efficient and environmentally-friendly air travel, with the government arguing that the current system, designed in the 1950s when there were just 200,000 flights per year, is no longer fit for purpose in an era of over 2 million annual flights.
However, critics warn that these reforms could mean communities will have little say in decisions that will significantly impact their lives, as the industry is set to have a greater influence on flight path planning. Specifically, the government is proposing that the regulator no longer prioritise noise impacts for aircraft flying above 4,000 feet, compared to the current 7,000 feet minimum.
“Local residents are just beginning to wake up to the realisation that they will have almost no meaningful voice at every stage in the airspace modernisation process,” said Charles Lloyd of the Aviation Environment Federation (AEF). “The programme would explicitly be delivered by the aviation industry, for the industry, with no account taken of community views.”
The concerns come as the government pushes ahead with expansion plans at major airports, including a third runway at Heathrow. Campaigners argue that hundreds of thousands of people could be affected by changes to flight paths, with some communities facing overflights for the first time.
Paul Beckford, policy director at Hacan, which has long opposed Heathrow expansion, described recent consultations by the Department for Transport (DfT) and the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) as “the worst example of a tick-box exercise” he could remember, accusing the authorities of “burning community engagement and environmental regulation on the altar of economic growth.”
The CAA has stated that it will remain the ultimate decision-maker on flight paths and that public consultation on changes will continue. However, campaigners argue that the proposed reforms will significantly limit the influence communities can have on these crucial decisions.
As the government attempts to unlock further investment in “green aviation” through a £43 million fund for emissions-reducing research and development, the battle lines have been drawn between the industry’s efficiency goals and the communities’ concerns over noise and environmental impacts.
