Providing the technical input to the Board, working with EAL and others on the understanding and mitigation of aviation noise arising from Edinburgh Airport operations.
EANAB bridges the gap between EAL and communities, raising awareness of aircraft noise impacts, advocating for community concerns, and collaborating on options for better managing aircraft noise.
The Aviation Analysis subgroup meets with EAL on a monthly basis to discuss, to inform and be informed on the technical issues towards this remit. It reports its findings to the monthly meeting of EANAB.
There are two formal processes when EAL is required to engage with communities, the Airspace Change Proposal and the Noise Action Plan. While these are the major areas of the Aviation Analysis subgroup’s focus, other key work streams include Noise Monitoring and Complaints, Noise Mapping and Night Flights.
Airspace Change Proposal (ACP)
During decisions where permanent changes are proposed to management of routes into and out of Edinburgh Airport, EAL must apply to the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and propose those changes in a full and transparent process, including a community consultation stage. The AA subgroup meets and engages with EAL throughout the ACP to ensure the provision of accurate noise maps, reports and information to the community at the consultation stage to form a confident basis for informed discussion about noise and its impacts. It can and does work independently of EAL to provide technical advice on modifications to procedure, which in its view will reduce the impact of such changes.
The AA subgroup, in cooperation with EAL and other air traffic control bodies, has helped to identify potential additional flight paths that pass over unpopulated land areas or the sea and amending routes under local control and suggesting additions to the framework of routes under NATS control.
As one example of the technical work of the subgroup, when EAL submitted maps to inform a previous Airspace Change Proposal in 2016, the subgroup prepared a comparison of the published maps with data from monitors in the area surrounding the airport. As a result of this work and engagement with the CAA, EAL reworked those maps to provide a more accurate reflection of the actual noise.
Noise Action Plan
Every five years EAL are required to provide similar maps, with slightly different emphasis, to the Scottish Government as part of a Noise Action Plan, which outlines how they intend to monitor and mitigate noise created by their operations. Currently members of the subgroup are meeting monthly with EAL to provide comment from a community perspective on the developing NAP.
Noise Monitoring
The purpose of Noise Monitoring is to be able to:
- Provide real-time information about noise
- Assist Communities in understanding the local noisescape
- Validate noise modelling
- Fine excessively loud aircraft
Following on from early work by the subgroup the CAA suggested changes to the noise monitor locations which EAL have now completed, but there is unfortunately still no noise monitor under the Runway06 departure route so further action is needed.
Noise Complaints
The purpose of Noise Complaints is to assist EAL in understanding community concerns. The subgroup’s role is to establish a process to determine whether the present mechanisms for dealing with noise related complaints are effective in meeting those concerns.
The subgroup engages with EAL to compile quarterly reports of all complaints received, which is then reviewed and commented on by the subgroup.
Noise Mapping
Following an investigation by the AA subgroup, a difference was found between noise maps presented for the EAL ACP in 2016, which had been supplied to EAL based on Gatwick Airport information and noise monitors in the area adjacent to the flight paths.
In line with the recommendation by the CAA in CAP1736, independent aviation consultants To70 were commissioned to look at the validity of the input data to the ANCON noise model used to produce maps at EDI.
Concerns had been expressed about the use of vertical profiles based on London Gatwick departures and the use of nominal SID track rather than radar-based measurement to describe the way aircraft are flown at EDI (track position, altitude and speed).
The To70 Findings Report shows that the concerns were justified and that the data input to the ANCON model to produce noise maps were not representative of operations at EDI.
To assist our communities in understanding the To70 Findings Report, the AA Subgroup prepared an EANAB Commentary on To70 Findings Report
A Noise Metrics and Potential Flight Profile Management Study was prepared and presented to EANAB in Aug 2020.
Night Flights
An investigation and report on Night Flights is in preparation.
The current flight noise fining thresholds were set long ago when aircraft were individually generally noisier than they are now. EANAB would like to see the outdated (UK national) maximum permitted noise thresholds reviewed, or alternative local thresholds introduced through future NAP. Accordingly, as part of the preparation of the 2023 – 2028 NAP, EANAB would like to make night flight charges more likely, to influence airlines and cargo companies to move away from flights during the night-time period, but without destroying the overall commercial attractiveness of using EDI.
Relevant documents
FAQs
Frequently Asked Questions about Aviation and Night Flights.
Edinburgh Airport operates 24 hours a day to accommodate various flight schedules, including international connections and cargo operations. While the majority of flights occur during the day, some flights are scheduled during the night to meet demand and maintain efficient operations. Night flights are generally defined as flights operating between 11:30 pm and 6:00 am.
The aviation industry is continuously working to develop quieter aircraft, including cargo planes. Newer models often incorporate noise-reducing technologies, such as advanced engine designs and modified wing structures. However, upgrading an entire fleet takes time and investment.