Stansted: Calls For No Night Flights

3 February 2014, 06:14 | Updated: 3 February 2014, 17:37

Campaign group Stop Stansted Expansion (SSE) are calling on the Department For Transport, to end noisy night flights at Stansted.

SSE's submission is in response to a Government consultation which proposes that Stansted should continue to be allowed 12,000 flights a year between the hours of 11.30pm and 6.00am.

SSE is pressing for the limit to be reduced to 7,500 night flights from October 2014 and then further reduced by 500 flights each year until night flights are totally phased out.

The campaign group's submission also argues that those living in the vicinity of Stansted and under its flight paths should have the right to an uninterrupted night's sleep, which should mean a full 8 hours and not just the 6½ hours covered by the current restrictions on night flights.

SSE has also highlighted the particular disturbance caused by night flights at Stansted because of its rural location where background noise levels are generally very low.

Martin Peachey, SSE's noise adviser, commented: "For years the Government has been promising that it will bear down on aircraft noise at night.  However, night flights at Stansted are still increasing, not decreasing.  It's time to reverse that trend and set a firm timetable for phasing out night flights altogether."

'Vital' Government Retains Night Flight Quota

Chris Wiggan, Stansted Airport’s Head of Public Affairs and Sustainable Development, said: "As the UK economy improves and passenger and freight movements continue to grow at Stansted, it is vital that Government recognises this potential and retains our full night flight quota limit. 

Stansted is unique in the South East as the only airport with a dedicated freight as well as a passenger operation, so whilst we understand that night noise is an important issue for airport communities, a reduction in the limit would have a damaging effect on the UK economy and only serve to transfer movements to airports with greater environmental impacts."