Heathrow’s Blueprint

for noise reduction

Ten practical steps to cut noise
by summer 2015
Step by step
towards a
quieter Heathrow
Although Heathrow is now quieter
than it’s been at any time since the
1970s, we can do more. At Heathrow,
we’re continually working with
our airlines, regulators and local
communities to make the skies around
Heathrow quieter for everyone.
Our Blueprint for noise reduction is our
ten-point plan to cut noise. All of these The Blueprint is itself a response to
steps are linked to actions in our current feedback from local communities, which
five-year Noise Action Plan, which sets is why we’ll be doing all we can to keep
out how Heathrow will manage and them in the loop about progress. Everyone
mitigate the impacts of aircraft noise over will know how successful we’ve been at
from 2013 -2018. The Blueprint speeds putting their comments into action.
things up. It challenges us and everyone
we work with to be quieter, sooner. To find out more visit heathrow.com/noise

Responsible Heathrow 2020 is our plan to support

the UK and local economies, reduce Heathrow’s
environmental impacts and look after passengers and
people. It’s a step towards achieving our ambition to be
one of the most responsible airports in the world.
Ten practical steps to reduce
noise by summer 2015
1 2
Early phase-out of
the noisiest planes
Some aircraft are noisier than
others. The oldest and noisiest are
classified as ‘Chapter 3’ aircraft.
They account for about 1% of
the aircraft at Heathrow. Airlines
already pay ten times more to fly
Chapter 3 planes to Heathrow than
they pay for the quietest aircraft.
We’d like to become the first large
European airport to be completely
free of Chapter 3 aircraft. So
we’ll be talking to the airlines to
encourage an early phase-out.
In early 2015 we’ll follow up
with a round of consultations on
incentives such as further increases
in Chapter 3 landing charges.
Fitting quiet technology
to A320s
The popular Airbus A320 family
of aircraft accounts for 55 to 60%
of the aircraft in the skies above
Heathrow. They’re efficient aircraft
but they emit a distinctive high
pitched whistling sound when
they’re about 10 to 25 miles from
touchdown. It’s now possible to
retrofit a component that reduces
the noise from each aircraft by
around 6 decibels.
We will encourage our airlines
to adopt the new technology –
especially those with large A320
fleets. To make retrofitting
a more attractive option, we’ll
investigate what incentives
– financial or otherwise –
we can offer our airlines.
3
Campaign for
quiet approaches
Aircraft approach airports in two
stages. Pilots can make the first
stage less noisy by descending at
a steady rate in what’s known as
a continuous-descent approach
(CDA). The alternative – coming
down in steps with periods of
level flying in between – is noisier
because aircraft fly at low altitudes
for longer. Heathrow is a CDA
pioneer: over 85% of daytime and
over 90% of night-time arrivals
achieve a CDA.
Now we want to win over the
airlines that don’t perform so
well. We’ll work with NATS
and other Sustainable Aviation
partners to target the dozen
worst-performing airlines. We
want them to do more to adhere
to our arrivals code of practice.
4 5
Campaign to delay
lowering of landing gear
The lowering of landing gear
increases noise. If engine power
has to be raised to compensate,
that too increases noise. There
are no hard and fast rules
specifying when to lower landing
gear: each pilot decides what is
safe for their aircraft type and
the conditions on the day.
We do know that there’s a lack
of consistency between airlines
operating the same aircraft type,
and sometimes within the same
airline for a particular aircraft
type. We’re keen to understand
how inconsistencies occur and
what we can do to reduce them.
During the autumn of 2014
we’ll be talking to the airlines
to encourage quieter landings
without compromising aircraft
safety. We’ll also explore ways
to encourage consistency in
landing-gear deployment.
Exploring steeper
angles of descent
An aircraft’s angle of descent has
an effect on the noise experienced
by people below. The steeper the
angle, the less time an aircraft
spends at low altitudes, which
means that fewer people are
affected by higher levels of noise.
At Heathrow, aircraft come in to
land at an angle of 3 degrees. We
believe that 3.25 degrees would be
just as safe, yet noticeably quieter.
To prove our point, in September
2015 we’ll be working with
airlines to trial steeper angles
of descent. Our long-term aim
is to incorporate steeper angles
of descent in our proposals for
redesigning the Heathrow airspace
as part of the Government’s
Future Airspace Strategy.
6
Better distribution of
night-time landing noise
At night and in the early
morning we have more scope
for using runway alternation to
share the noise (and relief from
noise) of arriving aircraft among
neighbouring communities. We
like to spread runway use as evenly
as possible. In practice this is not
so easy because the direction of
approach – from east or west – is
dependent on wind direction and
strength. Aircraft safety comes first.
However, we think we can achieve
a fairer distribution. In 2015 we will
work with NATS to explore ways
of distributing the burden and the
relief more evenly between our
two runways and our two east/
west directions of approach.
7 8
Completion of More adobe
schools’ double buildings in
glazing programme local primaries
Seventy-one community In 2014, we launched a
buildings including programme to provide
schools and libraries quiet outdoor learning
within zones of higher spaces for 21 primary
aircraft noise (above schools within zones
63 dBA in the 2002 of higher aircraft noise.
Leq 16-hour noise These adobe buildings
contour) qualify for take up to 30 pupils in a
free double glazing. single space. They help
children learn outdoors
Following discussions
in an environment
with the London Borough
that’s quiet yet retains
of Hounslow (where
the feeling of being
most of the schools
in the open air.
are) we agreed to
accelerate the schools’ So far we’ve funded
insulation programme adobe buildings for four
for completion by April schools with a positive
2015. By that time, 44 response from pupils
schools will have much and teachers. By the
better sound insulation. summer of 2015 we’ll
have funded buildings for
another two schools. All
21 schools should have
their funding in place by
2019. Construction of the
actual buildings is subject
to planning permission.
9 10
Campaign to
Bigger fines for reduce late
noisy departures departures
Since the 1990s, we’ve The last scheduled flight
been fining airlines for of the day leaves its stand
breaking our departure at 22:50. For a variety
noise limits. All funds of reasons aircraft often
generated by noise leave later, which can be
fines go straight back very disruptive for local
to the local community communities. Sometimes
through the Heathrow late departures are
Community Fund. unavoidable. We are
working with NATS to
We used to fine airlines
reduce the operational
£500 for exceeding noise
bottlenecks that lead to
limits by less than 3
delays and late flights.
decibels and £1,000 for
exceeding by 3 decibels We keep a record of all
or more. In October late-departing aircraft
2015 we made the fines so that we can track the
much steeper: £500 least punctual airlines.
for each decibel over We’ll work with the
the limit during normal airlines that run late
operational hours (07:00 most often to help them
to 23:00); £1,500 for keep to schedule. If
each additional decibel necessary, we’ll refuse
at the beginning and them permission to
end of the day (the night depart after 23:30.
shoulder periods: 06:00
to 07:00 and 23:00 to
23:30); and a hefty night-
time surcharge of £4,000
for each additional
decibel between
23:30 and 06:00.
Reducing Noise Impact

This noise contour map shows the size

of the 57db (Leq) noise contour in 1974
compared to 2013. 2013
HIGH
WYCOMBE
108 km2
2013 57dBA contour
GERRARDS
Leq equivalent sound level of aircraft noise CROSS

in dB(A) averaged over 16 hours (often

called equivalent continuous sound level). UXBRIDGE

1974 35NNI contour MAIDENHEAD

SLOUGH
LONDON
Until 1990, the official index of aircraft
noiseLONDON
exposure in the UK was the Noise
Heathrow
andNumber Index (NNI). HOUNSLOW

London boundary
BRACKNELL
KINGSTON
UPON THAMES

CROYDON

CROYDON
1974
825 km2

Heathrow Lden area cumulative

estimates for years 2006 and 2014

For the past 40 years Heathrow has been We are continuing to reduce noise. Since Lden (dBA) 2006 2014 Change % Change
growing less and less noisy. Despite a 2006, the area affected by all levels of noise
doubling of aircraft movements, Heathrow above 55dBA Lden has shrunk. The noisiest Area (km2)
is now quieter than it’s been at any time zone (experiencing 75dBA or more) is now > 55 244.7 220.4 -24.3 -10%
since the 1970s. 20% smaller than it was in 2006.
> 60 92.7 79.7 -13.0 -14%
> 65 37.1 32.7 -4.4 -12%
> 70 13.7 10.8 -2.9 -21%
> 75 5.0 3.9 -1.1 -22%
Working together
with our communities
As part of our commitment to engage openly and constructively with
local communities to understand their concerns; we hold regular meetings
with groups of residents, resident associations, local councillors and MP’s
throughout the year. Are established forums are:
Heathrow Airport Local Focus Forum
Consultative Committee The Local Focus Forum is made up of
representatives from local resident associations
The Heathrow Airport Consultative Committee and councillors. We meet with the members to
provides a forum to discuss all matters concerning the inform them of developments at the airport,
development or operation of the airport which impacts and to receive feedback from them on the
it users and on the people living and working in areas effect of the airport to their communities.
affected by this www.lhr-acc.org
Heathrow Noise Forum
Heathrow Community The Heathrow Noise Forum was established in
Noise Forum January 2014 and brings together representatives
from DfT, CAA, NATS, IATA, British Airways,
At the beginning of 2015 we set up the Heathrow Heathrow, noise pressure group HACAN and local
Community Noise Forum to keep residents and local authorities. The forum seeks to foster collaboration
stakeholders informed on areas such as, airspace in noise management at Heathrow from a range of
planning, future trials and consultations, and to stakeholders and was set up following a successful
develop the understanding of airspace and partnership between HACAN, NATS, Heathrow and
operational issues www.heathrow.com/hcnf British Airways over the past couple of years.

If you have any comments or suggestions, Produced on paper obtained

or would like to know more, please contact: from a sustainable source
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t: twitter.com/heathrownoise TRI v1 June 2015
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e: noise@heathrow.com