An alliance of local authorities say there is no need for night flights

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70 local authorities has backed Wandsworth's calls for an end to night flights.

The Strategic Aviation Special Interest Group (SASIG), which represents councils in England and Wales, has also told the Dept for Transport that no evidence has been produced by it or the aviation industry to justify claims that night flights have an overall economic benefit.

SASIG chairman Richard Worrall said:

"Most night flights at Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted could take off before 11pm or land after 7am. I am aware that the aviation industry claims a shortage of runway slots in the day - but I blame them for not working with us and others to solve that problem years ago."

SASIG was responding to the Governments consultation document "Night Flying
Restrictions at Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted."

Member authorities concluded that current controls (11.30pm to 6am) should be extended to cover the whole night (11pm to 7am). This would enable residents to get eight hours sleep every night without being repeatedly woken up.

SASIG acknowledges that this change may take some time to implement - but in
the meantime has suggested that leisure flights should have a lower priority
than essential freight and some business traffic.

Richard Worrall added:

"We are very aware of the advertisements from some airlines offering a few
business customers flat beds so that they get a good nights sleep to enable
them to work on arrival. We also know that thousands of local residents
never get a full nights sleep and therefore can never be expected to do a
full days work. This seems anomalous."



November 15, 2004