London City Airport consults on the new lower arrivals flightpath & Heathrow Resistance continues
We have recently responded to the London City Airport consultation entitled ‘LCY - ACP-2025-003 Introduction of RNP AR’ or, to clarify, the new lower arrivals flightpath with aircraft arriving – note – it does not change altitude or angles of departure paths. What will this mean for overflown communities? We believe: more noise. Read on.
Plane Hell Action’s response [concludes] that the airport has not made a credible environmental case for flying larger, heavier and noisier aircraft lower over London communities, and that the consultation has not adequately reached or informed the populations who would bear the impact.
We work with the Forest Hill Society who instigated the Citizen Science Study of Overflight Noise from New and Old Generation Aircraft at London City Airport.
One airline suggested in their response that if the Airbus 320neo is allowed to fly the lower angle the full Embraer fleet should be able to as well. Then the arrivals angle will have gone from 7.5 degrees originally, to 5.5 degrees which enabled the Embraers then 4.5 degrees for all.
Indeed Embraer told us that if (as the airport claims, and Embraer take issue with) the lower angle had no significant adverse impact on noise then this would hold for the Embraers too since they are quieter than the Airbus, so the airport might as well allow all aircraft to use the new path. They were not advocating this, but simply pointing out that the airport's interpretation of data may not be completely accurate.
You may be interested to read the more technical response here submitted by Embraer whose next gen aircraft the Embraer 190-E2 and larger Embraer E195-E2 are less noisy arriving, departing and in level flight than the Airbus A320neo that London City Airport proposes to use.
The remainder of [Plane Hell Action’s] submission focuses on the additional concerns that arise specifically for the SE London communities [Plane Hell Action] represents:
1. Noise
2. The 20-mile level approach over SE London
3. CDAs (Continuous Descent Approach)
4. Concentration
5. Respite
6. Wider context
7. Salami-slicing
2 We continue to focus on HEATHROW RESISTANCE, joining other campaign groups to raise awareness of what an expanded Heathrow Airport, either a 3rd runway or an increase in flight numbers, will mean. Please participate, share as far as you are able.
So far we have highlighted:
1. Regional impacts
2. Taxpayer costs
3. Financial costs
4. Noise impacts
5. Biodiversity impacts
6. Air pollution impacts
All documents including LCY consultation responses, the Citizen Science Study, and the Heathrow Resistance campaign can be found in this link to our Newsletter