Gatwick Airport: Civil Aviation Authority looking at steeper climbs in bid to limit noise pollution

An ‘increased minimum climb gradient’ would help to reduce aircraft noise disturbing people who live near airports, the CAA said, but could run down engines more quickly and emit more carbon.

In a consultation published on modernising Britain’s airspace, the CAA said: “One of the most significant environmental impacts associated with the airspace, particularly at lower altitudes near airports, is aircraft noise.”

Raising the take-off gradient would reduce the time aircrafts are in earshot of local residents as planes would reach higher altitudes sooner.

Different airports currently have varying minimum gradients. Gatwick mandates that planes climb to 1,000 feet during the first 6.5km covered after going airborne. This is a requirement under the UK’s Civil Aviation Act 1982 and is not actually related to the airspace modernisation programme.

A Gatwick Airport spokesperson said: “Allowing aircraft to climb more quickly and continuously after take-off is one of many techniques the CAA is exploring as part of its strategy to modernise the UK's airspace.

“Like all UK airports, Gatwick is working with the CAA and the ACOG - the body responsible for coordinating the redesign of UK airspace - to explore the most appropriate options for the airport. We have engaged regularly with key stakeholders throughout the process, including community representatives, and will continue to do so in the lead up to a public consultation in the next stage of the process.”

Campaign group Communities Against Gatwick Noise Emission (CAGNE) believes there will still be a big impact of noise pollution not just for local residents, but those who live further out.

Sally Pavey, chair of CAGNE, said: “This is continuous climb operations, CCO. A number of studies have taken place but the real benefits are possibly for those further out. For Gatwick to operate CCO it will be reliant upon Heathrow raising their airspace especially to the west and north of Gatwick. CCO will have to wait for the long process of the modernisation of airspace, FASIS, to be completed before it may be feasible.

"The issues with CCO is that air traffic control could then vector (turn) planes over new communities at relatively lower heights, 4,000ft, so impacting new communities to achieve a more direct route to the destination.

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“Like all noise abatement procedures aviation seeks to say they reduce noise but as we have seen with continuous decent operations of arrivals at Gatwick it has not stopped the noise complaints from those further away from the airport. Some airlines will not conform to a CCO as they have their own efficiency procedure for departures, such as Emirates and BA, so the noise from these will continue.

"The main issues for communities is the number of planes departing from Gatwick. With a second runway and a 35% increase in flights CCO will not make much difference in the overall picture of aircraft noise impacting residents of West Sussex and Surrey as they are, and will be impacted the most.”