Richmond and Twickenham Friends of the Earth response to DfT Night Flight Restrictions Consultation 2024
Night-time noise abatement objective for the next night flight regime starting October 2025: ‘To limit, and where possible reduce, the adverse effects of aviation noise at night on health and quality of life while supporting sustainable growth and recognising the importance to the UK of commercial passenger and freight services.’
We don’t agree with the second part of this statement. There are fewer business passengers now as many companies are showing their commitment to sustainability by cutting back on business travel and freight services can still operate without resorting to night flights. People need to recognise that there’s a cost to the planet for express delivery and so much consumerism.
Whilst welcoming the aviation night noise effects (ANNE study), the most effective way to reduce the already known health impacts of night flights would be to ban them during the hours of 23.00 and 07.00. Residents deserve eight hours of undisturbed sleep – particularly schoolchildren. As an urgent first step, there should be a complete ban between the hours of 04.30 and 06.00.
Aircraft noise is an intermittent stressor which causes annoyance, disturbed sleep, raised blood pressure and is linked to cardiovascular disease.
‘People living near the Frankfurt Airport, for example, have as much as a 7% higher risk of stroke than those living in similar but quieter neighbourhoods, according to a 2018 study that investigated health data of more than one million people. An analysis of nearly 25,000 cardiovascular deaths between 2000 and 2015 among people living near Switzerland’s Zurich Airport saw significant increases in night time mortality after airplane flyovers, especially among women, a team reported recently in the European Heart Journal.’ Why noise pollution is bad for your heart – BBC Future
Zurich airport now has a night flight ban between 23.00 and 06.00 and many other European airports also have bans of around seven hours in the night period.
As for the claims of economic impact resulting from a ban on night flights, the review by Dr Alex Chapman of the New Economics Foundation in 2021 debunked many of these: NEF-the-economics-of-night-flying_consultation-response.pdf (aef.org.uk)
The Government thinks that a noise problem exists if there are residential properties within the 45dB LAeq 8-hour contour for night-time noise. This should be reduced to 40dB in accordance with WHO guidelines for the lowest level at which adverse effects occur.
The decibel levels which trigger fines for aircraft are also too high at 87dB for night and 94dB for day. Depending on how the QC2 aircraft such as A380s and 777s are flown, they can be very disruptive; these planes shouldn’t be allowed to depart at all after 22.30.
We agree that Heathrow should not have pre-emptive dispensations to land planes early in anticipation of delays due to poor weather. Most annoyance is caused by late-running departures and early arrivals. There are still too many planes scheduled to depart after 22.15 and in response to a recent complaint about three late-running planes (one a loud 777) departing after midnight, we were told that there were five late departures all with ‘technical difficulties’. It is little wonder that residents are sceptical about reasons for dispensation, but the dispensation guide is helpful.
The current review period should certainly not be lengthened as ongoing medical research could identify further health impacts caused by sleep disturbance from night flights.