Ruth Cadbury Welcomes 'No Change' On Night Flights

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The government has decided to let existing restrictions remain

Labour's Parliamentary Candidate for Brentford & Isleworth, Ruth Cadbury, has welcomed the news that the Government has decided not to endorse the Airport’s Commission’s proposals to increase night flights.

Currently there are around 16 night flights landing at Heathrow between 4.15am and 6am, affecting the right to sleep for some 95,000 residents of Hounslow and beyond. The Airports Commission’s interim report in December 2013, proposed a ‘smoothing’ process – which would move flights from the 6am to 7am slot to 5am to 6am – potentially doubling the number of night flights.

However the Government announced today that it would delay the decision on the early morning ‘smoothing’ until the final report from the Commission after the next General Election and said existing night flight restrictions remain in place until 2017.

“Residents here are woken soon after 4am day after day and not able to go back to sleep because the subsequent planes follow soon after and arrive every minute from 6am,” said Ruth.

She added: "Let's nail the argument that planes are getting quieter. According to the CAA the noise climate around Heathrow has NOT improved in 10 years. 95,000 people in West London and beyond live in an unacceptable noise environment thanks to Heathrow. We need to work with the airport so that it becomes a better neighbour, not an even bigger one”.

The existing Heathrow night flight regime, which expires in October this year, will now be extended.

July 15, 2014