Forum Topic

Airspace Change Process

This is a simple copy and paste job.   Did anyone on here know about this survey?The consultation is part of the Civil Aviation Authority's (CAA) Airspace Change Process, which we are required to follow to implement permanent changes to airspace. Following the creation of design principles, and the development and initial appraisal of options for SSA, we are now at Stage 3 of the Airspace Change Process. This is the stage where we undertake detailed analysis of SSA and then consult with our stakeholders. We would like to thank everyone who provided input into the earlier stages of this process.The consultation documents and response form will be available from Friday 5 March at https://emea01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fconsultations.airspacechange.co.uk%2Fheathrow%2Fheathrow-consultation-slightly-steeper-approaches&data=04%7C01%7C%7C78a7502c58d54d8b379208d8def97854%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C637504510329343714%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C1000&sdata=Sb0dzUtG6HdMja2GzI1jqd1NsE3YdHOuDkt0I5Xngws%3D&reserved=0. If you are unable to respond online, you may respond in writing using the feedback form provided in the consultation documents. If you have any questions about our consultation, or would like to request a hard copy of our consultation material, please contact the Heathrow Community Helpdesk (0800 344844) or email airspace@heathrow.com.

Jennifer Selig ● 2063d8 Comments

It is the consultation to make possible a permanent airspace change instead of the ongoing "trial" of slightly steeper approaches to Heathrow. The original trials were done ? 3 or 4 years ago to allow suitably equipped planes to approach the runway at 3.2 degrees instead of the standard glidepath of three degrees . Planes would be marginally higher than they otherwise would be, the difference getting greater the further away they were from touchdown. It was hoped there would be a noise benefit.Heathrow's page announcing this consultation is athttps://www.heathrow.com/company/local-community/noise/latest-local-community-and-noise-news/slightly-steeper-approaches-consultationThe Final Report on the 2017 trials is available athttps://www.heathrow.com/content/dam/heathrow/web/common/documents/company/local-community/noise/reports-and-statistics/reports/operational-trial-reports/slightly-steeper-approach-trial/Heathrow_Slightly_Steeper_Approach_Trial_2017_Final_Report.pdfThere is a potential noise reduction (on average it was 0.7dB over Roehampton, 0.5dB over the Surrey Golf Club next to Kew Gardens and 0.3dB over Mogden sewage works) but it is pretty small and it is expected that only 2% of aircraft would use the procedure (the rest maintaining the usual 3 degree ILS approach).

Tim Henderson ● 2063d

But most will implement the steeper glide path angle after a time.

Basil Finnis ● 2063d

"This is a simple copy and paste job."Not exactly!  The consultation will appear from tomorrow (5 March) athttps://consultations.airspacechange.co.uk/heathrow/heathrow-consultation-slightly-steeper-approaches/but at the moment it's not open.There is an explanation of what this is all about athttps://www.heathrow.com/company/local-community/noise/future-airspace/slightly_steeper-approaches#:~:text=Making%20slightly%20steeper%20approaches%20permanent,living%20close%20to%20an%20airport

Richard Jennings ● 2063d

Out of interest I looked at Flightradar24 at 20:17 this evening. There were only two aircraft in the air within the M25. One was a Qatar 787 Heathrow to Doha, about to cross the M25 down near Orpington. The other was a UPS 747 freighter at 35000 feet roughly over Ewell, Louisville to Cologne. That was it (plus a helicopter somewhere near Westminster). Quiet times.

Ken Munn ● 2063d

Are people aware of the current consultation for night flights at Heathrow?

Fabiana Eggers ● 2060d

It may have been quiet tonight Ken... but the other morning at about 6.30am I observed a line of 5 aircraft in a row approaching the Northern runway from over Berkshire and beyond. So there seem to be rush hours still.One trusts that Her Majesty at Windsor has triple glazing.

Jim Lawes ● 2060d

Heathrow flights. Legal cap at the moment 480,000 per annum.2019, actual flights 475,8742020, actual flights 200,952So, less than half 'normal' levels of activity.

Ken Munn ● 2060d

The reduction at the moment is much more than that (~75%)The Eurocontrol Daily Traffic Variation chart shows that Heathrow has been bumping along at 280 - 310 flights a day for the past few weeks instead of the "usual" 1300.https://www.eurocontrol.int/Economics/DailyTrafficVariation-Airports.html

Tim Henderson ● 2058d