Night flight limit relaxed
10.06.11
A night flight limit that threatened to ground flights to and from Birmingham Airport – hitting holidaymakers and local companies - has been relaxed, the Birmingham Mail reports. The need for companies in the region to bring in more freight in by air meant the airport would have reached its annual quota of night flights well before the end of September. However, as an interim measure, the airport has been given permission by Solihull Council to base the number of night flights allowed in 2011 on the busiest year in the past 5 years, rather than on the recession-hit last year.
A spokesman for the airport told the newspaper: ‘We were facing the prospect of being the victim of our own success. Traditionally the number of night flights is based on 5% of the previous year’s air traffic movements. But because of the recession, business was down last year; to impose limits based on last year would have hit us hard just when industry needs to use us more.'
‘We have picked up a lot of freight business from the night closure of Coventry Airport, but faced the prospect of having to turn this business away. We estimate we would have reached our annual night flying limit of 4347 flights in September. Because of this interim measure we will now be in a position to meet the needs of Midlands industry and keep flying.’
She stressed, however, that even though there would be more night time flights than last year the airport would not be increasing the number above those operated in recent years. And the airport has proposed to reduce the noise level that aircraft are allowed to operate from 87 decibels to 85.
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