News

LOT has 'loudest' aircraft at Heathrow

6 Nov 2013 by GrahamSmith

LOT Polish Airlines has been named as the carrier with the 'loudest' aircraft at Heathrow after the airport published a table listing its top 50 airlines according to noise.

The unfortunate honour came after Heathrow officials collated data for the new 'Fly Quiet' programme, which was launched today.

Every three months, LHR will compile a Fly Quiet table listing the top 50 airlines at the airport according to six noise-related criteria. A total of 84 airlines fly out of Heathrow.

In today's first Fly Quiet league table, covering July to September 2013, 80 per cent of the listed airlines met Heathrow's minimum requirements on noise, with 94 per cent meeting at least five of the six metrics.

The bottom five airlines in the inaugural study were LOT, followed by El Al, Thai Airways, long-haul Turkish Airlines, and South African Airways.

The quietest airline was British Airways short-haul, followed by Virgin Atlantic Little Red in second place, Aer Lingus at three, American Airlines at four, and Qantas Airways at five.

British Airways long-haul flights came in as the 12th quietest, with Virgin Atlantic at 15, Air France at 35 and Finnair at 44.

Heathrow has some of the world's toughest rules and regulations on noise. As a result, airlines use their quietest aircraft around 15 per cent more on Heathrow routes.

The aim of the programme is to ensure this trend continues by encouraging airlines to use the quietest aircraft available and to fly them in the quietest possible way, the airport said.

Matt Gorman, Heathrow's sustainability director, said: "We are at the forefront of international efforts to tackle aircraft noise and are committed to continuing to reduce the number of people affected by noise.

"The launch of the Fly Quiet programme signals our firm commitment to being transparent about aircraft noise and our progress in reducing its impact on local communities whilst still safeguarding the vital connectivity and economic growth that Heathrow provides."

heathrow.com

Graham Smith

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