Aviation policy statement
Night flights position statement
Noise from aircraft at night brings negative impacts to local communities by impacting both physical and mental wellbeing.
The UK Government has the authority to set night flight restrictions at the country’s 3 noise designated airports; Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted. The Government expects that appropriate noise controls at other airports should be set locally through the planning system.
In February 2024, the Department for Transport consulted on the proposed night flight regime from October 2025. Current proposals are for a 3 year bridging regime which will retain existing restrictions on night flights between October 2025 and October 2028. This is to allow the Government time to receive and review evidence from the Aviation Night Noise Effects (ANNE) study and the aviation noise attitudes survey.
| Airport | Season | Movement limit | Noise quota limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heathrow | Winter | 2,550 | 2,415 |
| Heathrow | Summer | 3,250 | 2,735 |
| Gatwick | Winter | 3.250 | 1,785 |
| Gatwick | Summer | 11,200 | 5,150 |
| Stansted | Winter | 5,600 | 3,310 |
| Stansted | Summer | 8,100 | 4,650 |
The table above outlines the existing limits for the 3 designated UK airports.
- Movement limit refers to the maximum amount of aircraft that can take off or land during the night time period (11:30pm to 6am).
- Noise quota limit takes into account the noise performance of each individual aircraft type. This is used to incentivise the use of quieter aircraft to maximise the number of movements that can take place.
The existing limits have been in place since 2017. In 2021, the Department of Transport decided to roll over existing night flight restrictions for the period of October 2022 to October 2025. The latest proposals would mean these restrictions remain unchanged for a total of 11 years.
Originally, a decision on the next night flight regime at Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted was expected to be made by late July 2024. However, this has been delayed due to the general election and change in UK Government.
Our position
Our position on night flights is that we do not agree the existing movement and noise quota limits should be maintained. Instead, night movements and noise quota limits, at Gatwick in particular, should be reduced in order to give residents living under the flight paths, who are over-flown all day long as well as at night, at the very least, a decent night’s sleep.
Airspace change modernisation process
Despite technological advances, the design of the UK’s airspace has not changed significantly in 70 years. The airspace modernisation programme is a key national infrastructure project that aims to deliver quicker, quieter, more resilient and environmentally cleaner journeys to the benefit of those who use and are affected by UK airspace.
The Department for Transport (DfT) and the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) are working together as co-sponsors to modernise the UK’s airspace. The intention is that modernising the airspace will:
- reduce carbon emissions
- make commercial aviation more efficient and resilient
- improve safety for all users
- safely integrate the full potential of new aviation technology.
As part of the process, the route network above 7,000ft is being upgraded and redesigned by NATS (previously referred to as National Air Traffic Services), whereas 20 UK airports are undertaking work to upgrade and redesign the arrival and departure routes that serve their operations below 7,000ft. In the south east, this includes airports such as (but not limited to):
- Heathrow
- Southend
- Gatwick
- London City
- Stansted
- Biggin Hill
- Luton
- Manston
Each airport, along with NATS, will be responsible for setting their own timeline with proposed dates for each review by the DfT and CAA.
Our position
We will continue to engage with each individual airport and NATS on their airspace change proposals. We will respond to consultations reiterating concerns regarding the impact of aviation noise on Kent’s residents, particularly those located within western areas of the County who experience adverse impacts from Gatwick Airport. We will continue to lobby for the equitable distribution of flight paths and appropriate mitigation measures.