Forum Topic

Pre 5AM airplane noise - why no respite?

I am being constantly woken by airplane noise over Putney in the early morning, regularly starting up at 04:30 Has the runway alteration for night flights been abandoned? Last night was the worst, we had planes over us at 00:40 and then they've started up again at 04:30 this morning. What is going on?

Jill Ridley-Smith ● 17d9 Comments

It seems that they are manufacturing a reason for a new runway.They must have got the same people that did the M3 works which took a decade.

Ed Robinson ● 13d

MY question has always been:  Why only Heathrow?There are 6 major international airports in London: - Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted, Luton, Southend and the City. Scotland has 5 major international airports:  - Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Glasgow Prestwick and Inverness.Let us not forget Manchester, Birmingham and Newcastle.I thought the UK needs growth, not just London.

Ivonne Holliday ● 13d

Yes, and if they started the work late 2023.  Beggars belief!

Elizabeth Balsom ● 13d

I complained to LHR and this was included in their response:"Unfortunately, there is currently disruption to night-time alternation due to runway resurfacing works which are taking place at night. Most aircraft flying after 22:30 and before 06:00 use a single runway while the resurfacing works take place overnight on the other runway.We started the runway resurfacing works in late 2023 with the southern runway resurfaced first. However, we have now switched to the northern runway to undertake surveys and associated works before starting on the resurfacing. This work is expected to be complete by June 2026."So this is the reason why the 4:30AM flights are not using the northern runway and using the southern runway continuously over Putney.  I am astonished this will be until June 2026. If it takes them that long to resurface, what on earth is the point of the third runway? It'll take forever to build.

Jill Ridley-Smith ● 13d

Rachel Reeves' plan for growth is the third runway which will leave us with no respite at all from aircraft noise as detailed in Howard Davies' report.Check out a guy called Mike Kane who is some sort of aviation minister. That's what's planned.Quite what sort of growth an additional 56% of aircraft movements at LHR will bring to UK plc is anyone's guess.

Elizabeth Balsom ● 17d

I am told the 4.30am flight is a daily one, arriving from Hong Kong - and that its timing is dictated by noise restrictions at the HK end.  But it's been running for years and I believe the regular one-a-minute arrivals do not start until 5.30am.  I mostly sleep through them but not always!I think the current flight patterns are largely unchanged but because the weather is warmer more of us have our windows open so the noise is louder.

Jonathan Callaway ● 17d

Can confirm 4-30 am start-up fairly regular now. V disturbing.

Alexander MacLeod ● 17d

Certainly noticed the noise on Saturday and Sunday afternoon, but not been woken up by it early in the morning, thankfully.

Lucille Grant ● 17d

Jill, also the planes were flying extremely low yesterday afternoon. Also a Helicopter was going round and round.

Barbara Stevens ● 17d