Plans to fast-track the remodelling of the UK’s flight paths could lead to shorter journey times, fewer delays and more flights for passengers, the government says.
Ministers say the plans could allow planes to climb quicker during take off and descend more smoothly.
Last year there were about 2.7 million flights in UK airspace.
He fears that new flight paths will make the situation worse for him and his wife.
Tim Alderslade, the head of trade body Airlines UK, said the changes to UK airspace were “long overdue”.
The government claims that plans to expedite the redesign of the UK’s flight routes could result in more flights, cut down on delays, and shorter travel times for passengers.
The UK Airspace Design Service (UKADS) will redesign the routes that aircraft must fly over UK airspace, many of which were determined about 70 years ago. Ministers are expected to make the announcement later.
Modernizing London’s intricate airspace will be the main goal of the first shake-up. It is anticipated that no changes will be implemented for a number of years.
However, Cagne, a Kent, Surrey, and Sussex aviation and environmental group, cautioned that the plans might result in new flight routes over homes that are not currently impacted.
According to ministers, the plans could make it possible for aircraft to take off more quickly and descend more smoothly.
An additional objective of the proposed changes is to help mitigate the climate change impacts of aviation and open the way for new technologies like flying taxis.
“Modernising our airspace is also one of the simplest ways to help reduce flying-related pollution and will set the industry up for a long-term, sustainable future,” stated Mike Kane, the Transportation Minister.
Since UK airspace was first created in the 1950s, when there were only about 200,000 flights annually, the modifications would be the biggest to date. There were roughly 2.7 million flights in UK airspace last year.
Basingstoke resident Tim Keevil, who takes 10 to 12 trips overseas annually, believes Heathrow ought to have been enlarged 30 years ago.
He called the airport a “national embarrassment” and said it is “undersized and understaffed.”.
Aircraft landing at Heathrow, however, are already loud enough, according to Dr. Alan Lafferty, who has lived in his Chiswick home for forty-three years. New flight routes, he worries, will worsen his and his wife’s circumstances.
“Heathrow already has planes landing so close that you can hear them overpowering everything else.”. He told the BBC that it would be a nightmare to get any closer.
By year’s end, UKADS will be fully operational, according to the government.
It is anticipated that the airspace over London will undergo changes in the 2030s, and considering their scope and complexity, they may be implemented gradually.
Before 2030, there may be some changes to routes outside of London.
The head of the trade association Airlines UK, Tim Alderslade, stated that the modifications to UK airspace were “long overdue.”.
“We’re excited to collaborate with ministers and all sectors of UK aviation to finish a once-in-a-generation infrastructure program as soon as possible, ideally by the end of the decade,” he continued.
The announcement was hailed as “excellent news” by Jet2 CEO Steve Heapy, who also urged “swift action”.
“We’ve been advocating for airspace modernization for years because it’s been shown to be a major factor in reducing CO2 emissions,” he said.
According to Finlay Asher, an aerospace engineer and supporter of the advocacy group Safe Landing, “The environment and the welfare of the community must be given top priority during this transition.
“Emissions would skyrocket if these changes were used to merely increase the number of polluting flights. “.
