Airport owners win reprieve as night-time disturbance tails off

Last April, councillors in Leeds asked officers to write to airport executives expressing their concerns about breaches of planning conditions relating to night-time noise.

Planning rules for the airport contain detailed conditions regarding night flying and prohibit departures and landings during the night by specific types of aircraft.

Figures showed that there were seven breaches of the night-time noise rules between November 2009 and February 2010.

The figure of seven represents just over two per cent of the 333 aircraft taking off or landing at night during the time period.

The airport told the council that it was taking action to prevent further breaches.

It was in discussions with Pakistan International Airlines about changing aircraft, reducing flights to two a week and rescheduling departures from 9pm to 7.30pm for the summer schedule.

Although further breaches have happened since the warning letter was sent by the council, the authority says the numbers of breaches are falling.

Between March and August last year there were three breaches among 1,365 night flights.

And there were just two breaches between September and February this year.

A council planning committee report says: “Whilst further breaches are unfortunate it is true that the measures which have been put in place have significantly reduced the number of occasions that the condition is being breached to a very small proportion. It is recognised that the flight is long haul and so delays can occur from time to time.”

It adds: “In recent months there has been dialogue with the airport at senior councillor and officer level on a number of issues and against this backdrop it was not considered that the commencement of formal enforcement action would be in the interests of the city at the present time.”

The report says that the council’s approach has been to work with the airport to resolve issues and further meetings are planned.

Councillors are being told by senior officers that improvements have been made over time and that officers should be backed to continue working with the airport.

“The danger is that formal action over a small number of breaches could result in the loss of the service (Pakistan) to the city region which would have substantial implications for the economy and amenities of the city region.”

The report concludes that dialogue should continue.

“Councillors are asked to support the approach of officers in seeking to resolve the issue of PIA (Pakistan International Airlines) breaches by continued dialogue rather than formal action at this stage given the improvement in the position over time and the low number of breaches now evident.”

Airport bosses have told the council that two PIA breaches of the night-time noise quotas happened in January this year.

The first, on January 8, happened at 11.43pm. The plane departed late due to the arrival of the inbound flight and bad weather conditions.

On January 16, a PIA plane departed late – 12.25am – as the inbound flight was late and did not arrive until 10pm.

The airport is currently operating well within the maximum number of night-time flights, according to the report.

In the summer, May to October, the limit is 2,800 movements and in winter the limit is 1,200.

Air quality monitoring results around the airport showed levels of nitrogen dioxide below the average permitted, the report noted,

Members of the plans panel west committee meet today to discuss the report.

No-one was available from Leeds Bradford Airport to comment.