The consultation by NATS, the UK’s leading air traffic management provider, on proposed changes to airspace over the eastern coast of Northern Ireland and a small area of south-west Scotland ends on Friday 22 August. Anyone who wants to register their views on the proposals must do so by then.
The consultation has presented two options, developed jointly with the Irish Aviation Authority (IAA), designed to handle the projected growth in flights between Ireland and the UK, northern Europe and Scandinavia, and complements changes that are being made by the IAA in Dublin airspace.
The base of the proposed airspace would accommodate the lowest altitudes currently used by traffic in the area, generally flights between Belfast and Dublin, ranging from 5,500 to 9,500 feet. Typically, most aircraft fly much higher.
Key points of the proposal are:
· Widening the present air route between the Dublin area and south-west Scotland
· Introducing additional controlled airspace to protect direct flights between Dublin and Belfast
· Improving the route over Galloway to north-east Scotland
· A new area of controlled airspace over the Mourne AONB for northbound flights only. Part of this area is already overflown but the new airspace will be at higher altitudes than aircraft fly at present
· Southbound flights would be directed over the sea, instead of over the Strangford Lough and Lecale Coast AONBs as at present.
NATS estimates that, if approved, the proposals would reduce the number of flights over the AONBs from 11 per hour (in busy periods) at present, to seven flights per hour (in busy periods) in 2009. Between the hours of 2200 – 0700 the number of flights per hour over the AONBs is expected to reduce from three to 2.4.
Pete Whysall, NATS Operations Strategy Division, said: “These proposals will reduce the distance most aircraft have to fly and enable them to climb and descend at a more efficient rate. This will reduce the fuel they burn, which of course is an advantage environmentally. While the proposal will increase northbound flights over the Mourne AONB, overall the number of planes flying over AONBs in that area will reduce as southbound flights will be routed over the sea, instead of over land as at present. The proposals reduce the complexity of the airspace, enable more direct routeings, and allow aircraft to fly higher for longer.”
NATS is consulting a broad range of environmental and aviation stakeholders, including borough and district councils, Members of Parliament, Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, environmental groups, airlines, recreational aviation groups and other interested parties. Information may be found on the NATS website at www.nats.co.uk/P600consultation. Responses have already been received from a broad range of stakeholders including Local Authorities airlines and environmental groups.
Following the consultation, a formal proposal will be submitted to the Civil Aviation Authority which decides whether the proposed changes can go ahead. If approved, the change is planned to become operational in March 2009.
ENDS
Notes to Editors:
· NATS is licensed by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to provide air traffic control services and the terms of our licence require the company to be capable of meeting on a continuous basis any reasonable level of overall demand. NATS is charged under our licence with permitting access to airspace on the part of all users whilst making the most efficient overall use of airspace. The terms of our licence are available to read in full on the CAA website.
· Any proposed airspace developments undertaken in the UK are carried out subject to the conditions of the CAA Directorate of Airspace Policy (DAP) Airspace Change Proposal process which may require NATS to conduct an environmental consultation with local stakeholders.
· The consultation follows the UK Cabinet Office Code of Practice on Consultation.
· NATS provides en-route air traffic management from the London Control Centre at Swanwick, Hampshire; the Scottish and Oceanic Control Centre at Prestwick, Ayrshire and the Manchester Area Control Centre located at Manchester Airport.
· NATS also provides air traffic control services at 15 of the UK’s major airports including Heathrow, Gatwick, Birmingham, Manchester, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Belfast International.
· NATS handled nearly 2.5 million flights in 2007.
