Heathrow to crack down on noisy airlines

London: Heathrow airport has decided to impose fines of up to USD 1500 on airlines found guilty of breaking noise limits, as they try to garner public support for a controversial expansion of the busiest airport in Europe.

In an effort to make the surrounding residential area in south-west London quieter, the airport authority will rank the 80 airlines that use the facility according to how noisy their aircrafts are. Fines for carriers that break maximum noise levels, which differ according to the time of day, range from GBP 500 to 1,000 (USD 1,500) per violation. Fewer decibels are allowed during the night. Heathrow`s two biggest airlines are British Airways and Virgin Atlantic, but it is also used heavily by major international flag carriers such as Air India, Lufthansa, Air France and Emirates. "Heathrow is at the forefront of international efforts to tackle aircraft noise and, as a result, even though the number of flights has almost doubled since the 1970s, fewer people are affected by noise," said Heathrow chief executive Colin Matthews. Colin believes the noise levels will also go down as a new generation of quieter, more fuel efficient jets such as Boeing`s 787, are used by more carriers. New departure routes and steeper approaches for planes using the two-runway hub operated by Heathrow Ltd, are also being chalked out to make the surrounding are quieter. Noise produced by airlines using Heathrow affects around 700,000 local residents, according to Britain`s Civil Aviation Authority, which is more than any other airport in Europe. The impact on local people and protests by residents has held back the airport`s campaign for expansion. Meanwhile, a parliamentary committee on transport has declared earlier this month that the airport is in urgent need of a third or even fourth runway. The Conservative-led coalition government has set up a commission on airport capacity, chaired by Howard Davies, which is due to report by mid-2015. "Before the Airports Commission reports in the summer of 2015 we will need to be able to demonstrate that Heathrow can grow quietly. There will not be a choice between more flights or less noise, we will need to deliver both," Matthews added. As part of the `Fly Quiet programme`, set to kick off later this year, a new noise insulation scheme for homes and offices around the airport is also under consideration. The program, partially funded by Heathrow authority includes `adobe building` for local schools, which involves the construction of igloo-like shelters made from bags of Earth and plaster to allow pupils to study outside without being disturbed by aircrafts. PTI