Routes switch to cut aircraft noise

Affecting a large swath of southern and eastern England, the plans are expected to reduce by 20% the number of people affected by noise from departing aircraft flying below 4,000ft.

But Nats stressed that the plans would not mean a reduction in the number of flights and that it was the company's job to ensure the increasing number of those wanting to fly did so safely and without delays.

The first fundamental overhaul in routes for several decades, the plans affect a number of airports including Heathrow, Stansted, Luton and London City.

Nats will now consult widely on the plans over a 13-week period and the company hopes to bring in the new routes around spring 2009 providing the go ahead is given by the Civil Aviation Authority.

More than 3,000 people and organisations will be consulted, including MPs, local councils, green groups, airlines and businesses.

Nats has divided the consultation region into five areas to make it easier for people to understand what effect, if any, the plans will have on them.

These five areas are Cambridgeshire, Suffolk and north east Essex; the Chilterns and Luton; east Hertfordshire and west Essex; west and north west London; and east London and south east Essex.

Nats is proposing to reduce congestion over Brookmans Park in Hertfordshire caused by converging departure routes from Heathrow, Luton, London City and Northolt airports; and relocate and separate the holding facilities for Luton and Stansted to accommodate their growth. The airports currently share two holds - but under these proposals each would have a dedicated hold and Stansted an additional hold.

It also plans to introduce what are called continuous descent approaches where aircraft stay higher for longer, reducing fuel burn and noise, for Stansted's easterly runway; and formalise arrival and departure routes for London City to reflect the growing number of jet aircraft using the airport, and to provide a new hold.