An anti-noise group has won a European Court of Human Rights case that could lead to a reduction in overnight flights at UK airports. The European Court of Human Rights has said that overnight flights at Heathrow airport violated residents’ basic human rights. The government will now have to consider the whole question of flights at Heathrow between 11.30pm and 6am.
The case against the Department of Transport was brought by 8 residents living near Heathrow each of whom are members of the anti-noise group HACAN ClearSkies.
The group claimed that noise generated by the 16 flights allowed at Heathrow between 11.30pm and 6am are an abuse of residents’ right to a good night’s sleep.
The ruling now clears the way for other challenges to night flights, not only at British airports but at airports throughout Europe.
How rediculous this is,Gosh the noise ain’t can’t be that bad,a Fokker 27 flys right over my house at 5am every morning with mail,i never wake.
Makes me wonder how these people who stay in airport hotels can sleep?
Regards Saab 2000
By: GZYL - 18th November 2001 at 18:24
RE: LHR faces over night flight ban
I’ve spoken to some people opposed to aircraft noise around Heathrow. They moved there when there were much fewer flights. The main complaint from some residents is that the noise is non-stop throughout the day.
I asked them what a solution to their problem would be… the reply I got was to distribute the flights to several other airports on the outskirts of London. I told them it’d never work because it would be an air traffic nightmare to have all these aircraft coming from several airports. What do you think?
I did a survey of aircraft noise around Leeds/Bradford Airport. OK, the scale of operation isn’t as big as Heathrow. But I found that the aircraft noise didn’t bother most people, as they’d lived in the area for so long, they’d got used to it.
By: ajcollins2 - 16th November 2001 at 16:02
RE: LHR faces over night flight ban
Most of the people who have moved to the LHR work for something to do with the airport.
the rest of them are just wingers!!!!!!!!!!!
u do like it…. MOVE!!!!
some of us have a job to do
By: EKRK - 4th October 2001 at 14:56
RE: LHR faces over night flight ban
LAST EDITED ON 04-10-01 AT 02:58 PM (GMT)[p]Hmm.. Being TOTALLY non-knowing of the residential situation (ie. if there’s a surplus of houses or not) in the London area, I start to wonder what even made them (the complainters) move to the Heathtrow area in the first place.
Also, I think that the airliners do what they can, in order to reduce noise.
BTW, I think I saw a good response in one of the older Airliner World magazines, just after the case had started.
By: keltic - 3rd October 2001 at 18:11
RE: LHR faces over night flight ban
This is an old problem. Operations shouldn´t be banned at all. We have to remember that when airports were built, there weren´t houses around. What happens is that urban developments are built close to airports because it´s very convenient and properties should go up in terms of price an value. On the other way, everybody like having an airport close their house. Airports should be built first and in isolated areas. I have always wondered why in some years time, they are surounded by people.
By: andrewm - 3rd October 2001 at 08:37
RE: LHR faces over night flight ban
I live beside Belfast City airport and I don;t hear a peep all day even in the 5 pm rush hr!!!
By: Saab 2000 - 3rd October 2001 at 08:31
RE: LHR faces over night flight ban
Because of this LHR may not be able to compete with other INT airports.
The houses that these people live in were built in the 1960’s/ 70’s?It would be nice to know if these are fitted with double glazing or how close these are to roads,i would say a car passing outside your house would be much louder than any Quantas 747-400 landing!
Regards Saab 2000
By: Albert - 2nd October 2001 at 19:43
RE: LHR faces over night flight ban
Listen some of us have no problem falling a sleep at the aviation park right next to runway 1 at Manchester.
But seriously how would this affect deleyed flights will they have to go somewhere else and if you take the worst case senario will airlines have to start thinking that if flights might not make the deadline then it will be cancelled.
And what about the rights of passengers find themselves in Paris because a delayed flight cannot land at Heathrow will these interferring so and so`s be willing to compensate them.
It would be interesting to know how long these people have lived in the area because the law used to be
If something was in the area (say a smelly or noisey factory etc providing they were doing nothing illegal) before you moved in then you could not complain against it because you knew it was there before you move
Where I live we are often over flown by the South Yorkshire police helecopter which comes over very very low on its way to jobs at all times of the day and night if I do wake up it is for only a few seconds by the time you think what was that I am back asleep.
No doubt these objecters have well paid jobs and lots of money and nothing better to do than try to lose the jobs of less well of people.
I mean they could always move
Something else I have just thought of will people who work shifts and have to sleep during the day get the same rights and stop day time flights as well.
Sign In
October 2, 2001 at 5:36 pm