Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, for what reason the statement, this will include a highly valued scheduled night flight ban of six and a half hours between 11pm and 7am in the Revised draft Airports National Policy Statement published on 24 October 2017 was amended to read, this is expected to include a highly valued scheduled night flight ban of six and a half hours between 11pm and 7am in the Airports National Policy Statement, published on 5 June 2018.

The reason for making this amendment to the proposed Airports National Policy Statement (NPS) is to ensure Chapter 3 of the document, which sets out why the Government has stated its preference for the Heathrow Northwest Runway scheme, is consistent with Chapter 5, which focuses on the potential effects of the scheme, including noise.

The Government has always been clear that should the proposed Airports NPS be designated, consideration of any ban, including timings, would be subject to the International Civil Aviation Organisation’s Balanced Approach to noise management, including consultation with local communities and relevant stakeholders.

The Government would anticipate there to be runway alternation at night. This means that some communities would experience additional periods of noise relief between 23:00 and 07:00, potentially up to eight hours including any ban, subject to consultation with local communities and relevant stakeholders.