Noise

The issue: Aircraft noise is an important issue for local communities and one that we see as a priority. Considerable progress has been made in reducing individual aircraft noise in the last 30 years and today’s aircraft are significantly quieter. However, the increase in the volume of flights over this period has to some extent offset the reductions achieved.

Readers should also refer to the BAA’s Corporate Responsibility Report for more detailed information on BAA’s policies relating to noise.

Our approach: The Government has taken responsibility under the Civil Aviation Act 1982 for the control of noise at Heathrow (and Gatwick and Stansted), and therefore our approach is necessarily influenced by Government policy.

We work closely with National Air Traffic Services, Government, airlines and representatives of local residents to continue to find and use the best practicable means to minimise noise impacts on our local communities. As part of this work we use a sophisticated Noise and Track Keeping System to monitor performance on a range of noise control measures.

BAA’s long-term goal is to be within the top 20% of companies for best practice in international noise management at comparable sites.

Communicating with our local stakeholders on noise remains of high importance. In 2006 we produced a publication, ‘Bothered by Aircraft Noise: We’re Listening’, which makes this complex issue as accessible as possible. A more detailed explanation together with detailed performance statistics are available in Heathrow’s Flight Evaluation Reports. The next edition of this report covering the last two financial years will be published later this year.

Our performance:
Target 06/07:  Implement new noise and track keeping system.
Performance against target: Some progress made (see section below on Noise and Track keeping system).

Night flights
There has never been a ban on night flights at Heathrow but the Government has imposed restrictions in various formats since 1962 which are reviewed regularly. The Department for Transport’s latest restrictions took effect from the Winter 2006 season following a two-stage public consultation. These will apply until 2012. BAA’s response to the consultation did not seek any increase in night flights in recognition of noise impacts on local communities and we were pleased to see this reflected in the Government’s decision. 

BAA Heathrow not only monitors night flights on a continuous basis, but also actively manages them to ensure compliance with the Government’s restrictions. Detailed reports are supplied regularly to both the DfT and the Heathrow Airport Consultative Committee (HACC).

Community noise monitoring
Last year we initiated a community noise monitoring study using four of BAA’s mobile noise monitors. The study will establish baseline noise measurements, which can be re-measured over a number of years in view of future possible changes to Heathrow operations. The first phase of the study, to monitor arriving aircraft, was carried out last year covering both summer and winter. The monitors will be used to monitor departing aircraft this year. In the third and fourth years, the monitors will return to the original arrivals and departures sites respectively.

Continuous Descent Approach (CDA)
This procedure is used by pilots on approach to Heathrow to reduce the noise heard on the ground.

Use of CDA at night

Year	Annual average %
2006/07	92
2005/06	92
2004/05	92
2003/04	91
2002/03	90

Track keeping
Aircraft departing from Heathrow are required to follow Noise Preferential Routes (NPRs) until they reach 4,000 feet. Once at 4,000 feet Air Traffic Control may direct aircraft to leave the NPR or they may leave them on the route. The NPRs are 3 kilometres wide. Providing aircraft are within the 3 kilometres whilst under 4,000 feet they are said to be “on-track”.

Using our Noise and Track Keeping System (NTK), BAA Heathrow monitors the track-keeping of aircraft on a continuous basis.

The benefits of the system were demonstrated this year when the system highlighted that a disproportionate number of aircraft were off-track on one of the NPRs used when the airport is on westerly operations (i.e. arriving over London and departing towards the west). A subsequent investigation discovered that a change had been made to the instructions supplied to airlines for use by the on-board navigational computers of some aircraft. This meant that these aircraft were leaving the designated route for a short period before returning to, and correctly following, the route.

BAA Heathrow contacted the company which issues these instructions to have the mistake rectified. As a result, the computer instructions for these aircraft were re-written and issued to airlines and the affected aircraft returned to the correct route.

This is a good example of how we work with airlines and others to improve performance in complying with the measures in place to reduce noise disturbance.

Annual percentage of aircraft on track

Year	% on track
2006/07	96.1
	94.6
2005/06	97.6
	94.4
2004/05	96.8
	94.8
2003/04	96.6
	93.8
2002/03	97
	93.9
Key	Excluding easterly Compton route
	Total

   
Engine tests
The total run time for aircraft engine tests at night has decreased again, as has the number of runs.

Ground noise - GPUs
Ground power units (GPUs), small diesel powered generators, can only be used to power aircraft on the stands if fixed electrical ground power (FEGP), which uses a quieter mains supply, is not available. We continue to monitor the use of GPUs and FEGP availability, ensuring that we minimise the use of GPUs.

Noise enquiries and complaints 
General information on how Heathrow operates and the measures used to reduce disturbance is available on this website. For more personalised information, we operate a noise enquiries line (freephone 0800 344 844 or email noise_complaints@baa.com). Maps are available showing the postcode location of the address in relation to flight tracks. A similar service is offered to those wishing to move house and requiring information on how a particular postcode area is affected.

Residents’ issues and concerns
Complaint numbers rose to 5,768 this year from a final figure of 5,207 for 2005/06. (The latter figure is higher than reported in last year’s report as some residents have reported complaints relating to 05/06 after the report was published).

Some of the rise in complaints this year was due to work on the airfield which meant we had to suspend runway alternation during the day for nine weeks last summer. The increase in security measures last August led to delayed flights which also caused a rise in the number of complaints.

Of those complaints 4,060 were from the nine boroughs/districts closest to Heathrow. Regular callers account for a large percentage of complaints; in 2006/07, 36% came from the top five callers and 49% came from the top 20. 14% of complaints came from just one person and 26% from the top two. In addition to complaints, 438 people contacted us for general information.

We received five complaints relating to ground noise this year.

Community assistance schemes
Home Relocation Assistance Scheme
The scheme provides financial assistance to homeowners living very close to Heathrow. Eligible homeowners receive 1.5% of the value of their property, plus a lump sum of £5,000 up to a maximum total of £125,000. The scheme was launched in August 2005.

This year we received 117 registrations (228 to date) and have paid 101 applicants a total of £843,000 in 2006/07 (£1.3 million to date).

Community Building Noise Insulation Scheme (CBNIS)
Launched in 2006, the scheme is designed to provide acoustic insulation mainly in the form of secondary glazing or high specification replacement windows for schools, hospitals, nursing homes, registered nurseries, libraries and community halls that fall within the 63 Leq noise contour (2002). The scheme covers 64 establishments within this contour.

The Community Noise Insulation Board, an independent board made up of members of the local community, was appointed last year to allocate funds provided by BAA of up to £25 million over five years. This year two schools were insulated, namely Springwell Infants and Nursery School and Springwell Junior School. Acoustic testing has been carried out in a number of buildings to assist in Board in prioritising works.

The Board is looking at insulating more buildings during 2007 and will also look at ventilation issues.

Residential Noise Insulation Scheme
121 homes received noise insulation during 2006/07 - this was in the form of loft insulation, ventilation and double/secondary glazing to windows. We will continue to provide insulation to those homes within the scheme’s boundary that have not yet taken up the invitation for any form of insulation from the scheme.

Vortex Protection Scheme
BAA Heathrow runs a Vortex Protection Scheme to protect homes around the airport. Although legal liability for vortex damage rests with the airlines, BAA Heathrow is voluntarily funding this £15 million scheme as part of its commitment to the local community. This year we received around 400 calls to our 24-hour vortex protection hotline. There were 95 confirmed vortex strikes. Some 78 properties were re-roofed.

Our plans:
Target 2007: To prepare a draft noise action plan for Heathrow and develop a plan for consultation with key stakeholders by 31st December 2007 to enable the action plan to be agreed with key stakeholders by 30th April 2008.

BAA airports will consult their local communities on aircraft noise action plans, evaluate the responses received, and publish revised final noise action plans by April 2008.

We will also continue to contribute to a wider BAA review of its noise related landing charges and fines, to identify opportunities to greater incentivise the use of quieter aircraft and operational practices at its airports.

Noise and track keeping system
This year we will complete our implementation a new noise and track keeping system. This is part of a wider project which is led by BAA Limited and covers Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted airports. The new system will deliver a range of information that will allow us to investigate and analyse the noise and track data that we collect for every flight arriving and departing from Heathrow. We can then quickly use this for analysis of aircraft operations and complaint investigation.

In summer 2007, we will launch a new website for people who want to know about aircraft noise. Users will be able to make a noise complaint or inquiry, find information about the likely effects of aircraft noise in their communities and understand the complex causes of aircraft noise.

Perhaps the most innovative part of the site will be ‘WebTrak’, where users can look at flight paths at our airports and see how high planes fly in relation to where they live or work. The site will be available at www.heathrowairport.com/noise. We had hoped to launch this service in 2006, but software testing and validation process took longer than expected.