Manchester Airport launches two year project to redesign flight paths

Manchester Airport has commenced a huge two year project to modernise their airspace by designing new flight paths.

Despite advances in technology, such as satellite-based routes which enable aircraft to fly more accurately and closer together, the way airspace is managed in the UK has changed little since commercial flights began in the 1950s.

As a result of developments in aircraft technology and the fact that more people than ever are flying, the Government has asked the aviation industry to overhaul the way UK airspace is managed. As part of a co-ordinated national programme, all airports are now taking a fresh look at how aircraft fly below 7,000 feet, to see what improvements can be made.

A spokesperson a Manchester Airport said "We hope that the modern ways of flying that are now available to us will mean that we can reduce delays, make customers' journeys more reliable, reduce the effect flying has on the environment, better manage some of the local effects of flying (such as noise nuisance) and achieve further improvements in safety."

The process of modernising the airspace will take more than two years and will involve a series of different stages. Manchester Airport are currently in the first stage of the process, which involves asking those affected by the business to give them their views on the principles they should consider when designing new flight paths.

John Mayhew General Manager of NATS at Manchester Airport "Imagine if we hadn't changed roads since 1960 – things just wouldn't work. We need an infrastructure to be modernised to be as efficient as possible for the aviation industry and the communities we serve."

In order to develop the design principles, a series of questions are being put forward to the public for consideration such as whether the airport should avoid aircraft flying over new areas or design the best possible routes even if this means flying over new areas; concentrating flight paths, which will affect fewer people but to a greater extent, or spreading out flight paths, which will affect more people but to a lesser extent.

Amongst the other options being considered if whether to avoid flying over built-up areas, which will affect fewer people but to a greater extent, or avoid flying over villages and rural communities, which will affect more people but to a lesser extent.

Plus whether they should fly the most direct routes possible to reduce emissions, even if this means flying over more people or avoid flying over communities so fewer people are affected by aircraft noise, even if this means higher CO2 emissions.

Manchester Airport will be gathering views on what their design principles should be until October 6th and they expect the CAA to review the proposals at the beginning of 2020. If it is satisfied with the proposals they will be able to proceed to the next stage of the process and begin developing flight path options which they intend to consult the public on in late 2020 or early 2021.

Visit the Manchester Airport website for further information and submit your views.

The area in red on the map above shows the area within which aircraft landing at and taking off from Manchester Airport fly below 7,000 feet.

Tags:
Manchester Airport
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

Comments

Here's what readers have had to say so far. Why not add your thoughts below.

Keith Chapman
Sunday 29th September 2019 at 3:10 pm
This looks like a story to follow closely and Wilmslow Town Council should fully engage. Flight paths have a significant impact on quality of life in Wilmslow and surrounding areas. We need to be active in protecting our community from aircraft noise.
Russell Young
Tuesday 1st October 2019 at 8:01 am
Keith Chapman, indeed. Especially the truly bizarre path taken when in 'easterly' operations, which could easily change to stop low flying over populated areas by extending it slightly eastwards to climb over the Peak, then turn south. A look at the flightradar24 website gives a good indication of what MIA (controlled from Prestwick) are up to on a daily basis.
Vince Chadwick
Tuesday 1st October 2019 at 10:28 am
John Mayhew, General Manager of NATS at Manchester Airport, said "Imagine if we hadn't changed roads since 1960 – things just wouldn't work". This overlooks that outbound aircraft tracks to the west from the Airport changed significantly on the opening of the second runway in 2001. This was beneficial from a noise pollution viewpoint to Wilmslow and Alderley residents.

Many aircraft departures from Manchester Airport are southbound, and prior to the opening of the second runway, southbound aircraft taking off towards the west (by far the predominant take off direction) used to curve to the left, around the Wilmslow conurbation, almost immediately after take off in order to position onto their desired southerly heading. This put a lengthy noise footprint onto Wilmslow and Alderley as they made this climbing turn to the south.

When the new runway was opened, these westerly take off paths were modified to turn right, to the north, instead of left, southbound aircraft subsequently turning left after a couple of miles to gain their required track. This is because the second runway is displaced to the west by a considerable margin compared to the original runway, so an unchanged take off track off that runway would result in unacceptably low flights over the Knutsford area from the new runway (when both runways are in use for westerly operations, the old runway is used for landing, the new one for take offs).

No doubt the airlines would like to revert to a more direct southerly departure, so what must be guarded against is, at times when the airport is only operating on the original runway, a return to the old 'turn left after take off' departure route with is subsequent noise footprint on Wilmslow and Alderley.
Bill Bennett
Wednesday 2nd October 2019 at 3:05 pm
Manchester Airport, should be spending more time on their customers. Check in can take ages, then you are crammed into a small space, for you and your belongings to go through an X ray machine. Often there are machines not being used, I assume to cut the cost for Manchester Airport, it doesn't really matter about the passengers.

A similar situation exists with passport control, firstly the people who are keeping the line moving are rude. We came back from New York on the 11/09/19, the line of victims going through passport control, filled every line in the zigzag and then stretched 80yards along a hall. Some of the machines were not working again.

Manchester is the worst Airport I have ever travelled to or from, from all of the countries I have visited.
Laurie Atterbury
Wednesday 2nd October 2019 at 5:15 pm
Wilmslow is well inside the airport’s map in the review, so we need to be alert. I do encourage people to complete the questionnaire and you only have until Sunday 6 October.
Although we’re not directly under the flightpath we are under the possible “flyover” zone as aircraft these days can fly closer to each other.
We bought our house in Wilmslow because it is not under any flight path.
Simon Worthington
Thursday 3rd October 2019 at 9:05 am
Don't waste the skin on the end of your fingers responding to this. Manchester airport is an inefficient dump and massive embarrassment to the whole country. See survey after survey. Only one or two airports ever do worse nationally and internationally. They care only about profit and cramming their noses in the trough. They will do whatever they want regardless and councils will not be able to do a thing about it.
Marcia McGrail
Thursday 3rd October 2019 at 9:10 am
With air travel being a major contributor to the suffocating effects of carbon emissions, MIA blithely ignores the necessity (and our individual responsibility) to decrease the overall carbon footprint.
To not do so will be viewed, at best, as ignorant and selfish by our children's children.
But then, none of us will be around to suffer with them.
Simon Worthington
Thursday 3rd October 2019 at 10:01 am
Quite correct Marcia, and for the save the planet brigade stop the cheap airbnb weekend in some east european city and certainly stop flying those quinoa beans several thousand miles. I do hope that none of the green brigade from "holier than thou" Brighton ever get airborn etc. etc.