HEATHROW TO USE JUST ONE RUNWAY UNTIL OCTOBER
PRESS RELEASE
12 July 2020
For immediate use
HEATHROW TO USE JUST ONE RUNWAY UNTIL OCTOBER
Residents and campaigners have reacted angrily to news received, with no notice whatsoever, of a substantial increase in noise brought about by the immediate closure of Heathrow’s southern runway.
Heathrow Airport has confirmed that it will only be using one of its two runways from 13 July until October, just days before the plans for a third runway are due to be heard at the Supreme Court (1). The southern runway at the airport will be closed completely until August in order to enable works to take place, with closures between 7pm and 7am every day from August until October.
Campaigners argue that this concentration of all operations on the northern runway will bring “noise misery” to those living under and around the northern runway flightpath, as they will experience all of the noise generated by Heathrow’s operations for the next three months.
Stop Heathrow Expansion are calling for Heathrow to offer those that will now experience an increase in noise – just as flight numbers are increasing – a better deal, such as ceasing operations at night, from 11pm until 6am.
Heathrow scaled down the use of the runways at the beginning of April, with the introduction of “mixed mode”, allowing aircraft to both land and take off on the same runway, with runway use alternating every Monday. Campaigners fear that the use of mixed mode could become the new norm if Heathrow seek to use this method of operating permanently, post-pandemic, as a way of increasing the current flight cap of 480,000, to an estimated 565,000 flights per year (2).
The southern runway is planned to reopen in October, just as the Supreme Court will hear an appeal by Heathrow Airport on its bid for a third runway. The appeal has been brought by Heathrow following the Court of Appeal’s ruling in February 2020, which stated that Heathrow expansion was unlawful, as the Government failed to take into account the Paris climate change Agreement when it drew up its Airport National Policy Statement – the document which enables Heathrow expansion to take place.
Geraldine Nicholson from Stop Heathrow Expansion, said:
“Heathrow have had three months of significantly fewer flights and now they choose the time where flights are picking up to close a runway. This means noise misery for hundreds of thousands of people living under the northern runway flight paths and close to the northern runway. We were given no notice of this change whatsoever.
“Heathrow must ensure that this closure leads to a better deal for residents and must cease operations at night altogether.
“Mixed mode operations set a dangerous precedent for operations to increase at Heathrow once both runways are back open and flight numbers return to pre-pandemic levels. Heathrow must not be allowed to expand in this or any other way.”
ENDS.
Notes:
For more information, contact:
· Rob Barnstone on 07806947050 or Robert.barnstone@outlook.com