Council wants rethink on Luton Airport flightpath plans
11.06.08
A rethink is needed on plans to change flight paths of planes using Luton Airport, a council has said. Bedfordshire County Council has objected to the National Air Traffic Service's (NATS) proposed changes to flight paths over the county.
The plans, which are currently out for public consultation, are part of plans to redraw the aircraft route map across the South East in order to cope with increasing flight numbers. NATS says the changes will benefit people across the region, but the council says they will increase noise above villages in the region including Caddington, Slip End, Studham and Kensworth, as well as to Dunstable and Houghton Regis and Luton.
The council said it would be better to maintain current westerly departure flightpaths from Luton Airport and its deputy leader, Richard Stay, said it had offered an alternative route to NATS. He said ‘It is important that we make NATS rethink current plans.'
‘We have given NATS an alternative to their proposed option which would maintain the current, more spread out departure patterns after westerly take offs. This would mean the new route would come into operation two to three miles from the airport and at higher altitudes, rather than turning at one mile from the airport. This is a better option because it reduces air traffic noise.’
NATS is currently carrying out a consultation on the proposals, which is due to close on 19 June. If approved, the changes would not become operational before Spring 2009. For more information visit: http://www.consultation.nats.co.uk/.
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