Hot and Bothered about Flights

6.11.15pm BST (GMT +0100) Wed 11th Jun 2008

The hot weather in the last few weeks has made a lot of residents miserable because of the large numbers of low and noisy take-offs from Heathrow continuing late into the evening.

Vincent Cable MP and John Stewart of HACAN are to visit NATS (the National Air Traffic Services) to discuss the feasibility of spreading take-offs more equitably across London when, as now, there is a predominance of easterly take-offs.

Vincent Cable said: "At this time of year there are a lot of easterly take-offs because of the prevailing easterly winds and the three preferred routes for take-off are over Ealing, Staines and Twickenham/Teddington. The problem is compounded by the way in which air circulation in warm weather conditions has the effect of amplifying noise. The disamentity of aircraft noise has the effect of alienating more and more people from the idea of airport expansion. But I also want to look at practical short-term solutions, if there are any, to distributing the noise burden more equitably."