Act now to have your say – Airport Noise ‘Action’ Plan

We urgently need your help. George Best Belfast City Airport is required by EU law to produce and regularly review a 5-year Noise Action Plan. But the airport’s latest document, George Best Belfast City Airport Draft Noise Action Plan 2019-2024,contains little in terms of meaningful new proposals.

The airport is currently carrying out a public consultation on this draft document. So please make your voice heard and use this opportunity to ask the airport to start taking some meaningful action on noise; for example, you could ask the airport to:

1. Make sure late flights after 9.30pm genuinely happen only in really exceptional circumstances

2. Carry out a trial of Precision Navigation (RNAV) technology which can help ensure that aircraft keep to routes which minimise the impact of noise on local residents (see below for more info)

3. Schedule Sunday morning flights to start later (e.g. 8am) to give residents a weekly break from early morning aircraft noise

4. Deploy a mobile noise monitor to carry out localised noise surveys in streets and neighbourhoods where residents have concerns

PLEASE ACT NOW: time is short as the consultation closes at 5pm this Friday, 26th October. Details of the consultation are here.

We suggest that you take these quick and easy steps:

1. Have a look at the Draft Action Plan, particularly Table 14 (pp. 64 – 66) which outlines what the actions which the airport intends to take up to 2024

2. Email the airport at environment@bca.aero with your consultation submission (which can be an email):

And when you make your consultation submission:

1. State that you’re responding to the airport’s Draft Noise Action Plan

2. Explain how airport noise affects you/your family, stating that you believe the Draft Noise Action Plan is inadequate and that the level of aircraft noise is unacceptable where you live (if you do)

3. Ask the airport to include any steps you’d like the airport to take to reduce noise, such as the ones we suggest above

4. Include your name and postal address

5. Request an acknowledgement of your consultation submission.

6. Use your email software to request an automatic read receipt as well if you can

Finally, if you don’t get a read receipt or acknowledgement, email the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs to let them know: aeqteam@daera-ni.gov.uk, as they’re ultimately responsible for ensuring the quality of the airport’s Noise Action Plan. (Their phone number is 028 90 569 541.)

If you ACT NOW, you’ll increase the pressure on the airport has to start trying to reduce aircraft noise. If our supporters don’t respond, it gives the airport an excuse to continue its ‘do minimum’ policy.

Many thanks for your help!