Birmingham airport has launched the Airspace Change Consultation, detailing proposed changes to flight paths when the airport’s runway extension opens in 2014.
The extension will require aircraft approaching from the south of the airport to fly around 51ft lower, as they will be required to touch down earlier on the extended runway, which could result in increased noise disruption for local residents.
However Birmingham airport says that its proposals also include the reduction of an existing 3km ‘noise corridor’ to 2km, as John Morris, the airport’s public affairs director explains:
“As a result of our flight paths being redesigned using the latest criteria, aircraft will be able to fly more precisely on the centre line of a flight path which means that we no longer need such a wide noise corridor.
"By narrowing the corridor in which aircraft fly, and as more airlines introduce newer aircraft installed with the latest navigational aids, even fewer communities could be over-flown in the future.”
If the new flight paths are implemented it will mean aircraft will fly further away from towns including Catherine-de-Barnes, Eastcote, Knowle and Meriden, but closer to some parts of Hampton in Arden, Barston and Balsall Common.
The airport also says that “it is likely that the noise impact for many communities to the north of the airport will improve, as the take off threshold for aircraft departing to the north will start from a more southerly position on the airfield.
“This means that aircraft will start to climb sooner and be higher in the sky in the north of the Airport, reducing the noise impact for many communities.”
Birmingham airport is holding a series of local roadshows to give residents an opportunity to find out more about the proposed changes, and has also produced the above video which “aims to give a clear and concise explanation of the airspace change proposals”.
For more information visit birminghamairport.co.uk.
Report by Mark Caswell