UK (Commonwealth Union) _ The UK government has implemented restrictions on certain airports, including London Gatwick (LGW), Heathrow (LHR), and Stansted (STN), to limit noise pollution during night-time hours. These restrictions are based on two main factors:
1. Annual Cap on Aircraft Movements: There is an annual cap on the number of aircraft movements allowed between 23:30 and 06:00 at these airports. This cap varies between the summer and winter seasons, with more flights permitted in the summer.
2. Noise Quota Limit: In addition to movement limits, these airports must adhere to a government-enforced noise quota limit. Each aircraft is assigned a noise score ranging from 0 to 16, based on its noise level. These scores are then added together with the aircraft movement figures to calculate compliance. The quota counts (QC) assigned to aircraft are 0.25, 0.5, 1, 2, 4, 8, and 16. Aircraft with QC4 ratings cannot be scheduled to operate at these airports between 23:30 and 06:00, while QC8 and QC16 aircraft have a restricted window between 23:00 and 07:00. These ratings are based on the number of decibels produced, with the lowest (QC0) and highest (QC16) limits being 81 and 101.9 decibels, respectively.
To further illustrate:
– The Airbus A380 scores 2 during take-off and 0.5 during landing.
– Older quad jets like the Boeing 747-200 have higher scores of 8 for departure and 4 for arrival.
Each airport has its own specific limits
– London Heathrow is limited to 5,800 night movements and 5,150 noise quota count points per year.
– Gatwick allows 14,450 night movements per year with an annual noise quota of 6,935 points. However, during the winter, only 3,250 movements and 1,785 points are allowed.
– Stansted is permitted 13,700 night flights and 7,960 points, with a seasonal preference for operations during the summer.
These restrictions aim to strike a balance between airport operations and minimizing noise disturbance for local residents. Additionally, some airports, such as Manchester Airport (MAN), have established their own policies to further reduce their impact on nearby communities. Manchester Airport caps its operations at 7,000 noise points in the summer and 3,000 in the winter, with night movements limited to 7% of the airport’s total traffic.
