Aircraft Noise: Has The Climate Changed

5.20.08pm BST (GMT +0100) Mon 29th Sep 2003

British Midland aeroplane

According to Vincent Cable MP growing numbers of complaints about noisy late night take offs over the borough can be contributed to growing numbers of flights taking off to the East because of changed climatic conditions over the last two years.

Vincent Cable had queried with the British Airports Authority (BAA) on apparent changes in flight patterns contrary to the agreement on Westerly preference (i.e. for flights to take off to the West if there is little wind). When the agreement was reached it was expected, on the basis of prevailing winds that 70% of all flights would head West, the rest over our borough. But in practice over the last two years the share has been nearer to 50% than 30% because climatic conditions seem to have changed.

Vincent Cable MP said: "there has been anxiety about the growing number of extremely loud flights, of fully laden aircraft, taking off across Twickenham and Teddington. I have been assured that there is no change of policy and no question of flights being switched to Easterly take off. The climate appears to have changed, certainly in the short term".