Asked by: Munira Wilson (Liberal Democrat - Twickenham)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to (a) reduce the number of commercial helicopter flights over densely populated areas and (b) minimise the risk of those flights to the safety of people on the ground.
Answered by Robert Courts
Requirements for commercial helicopter flights are set by the CAA, which does not have a remit to reduce the number of commercial helicopter flights over densely populated areas.
Helicopter pilots are required to take account of weather, terrain and obstacles when selecting their routes and to consider the ability to land without undue hazard to person or property in the event of a forced landing. In the London area, routes are in place for single-engine helicopters that largely follow rivers and open spaces; multi-engine helicopters have greater freedom (as the loss of one engine will not require immediate forced landing). In many built-up areas, pilots are subject to the provision of Air Traffic Control Services. The level of oversight of commercial organisations by the CAA also gives assurance that the flight profiles followed are appropriate, the crew members are competent and have met all training requirements, and that the helicopters are adequately maintained.
Asked by: Lord Lexden (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have plans to reduce the noise made by police and ambulance helicopters circling over London during the weekends.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Shadow Chief Whip (Lords)
The decision of when to deploy helicopters over London is an operational matter for the police and the London Air Ambulance.
The London Air Ambulance only operates during daylight hours due to operational reasons and this reduces noise during night time hours.
The National Police Air Service (NPAS) provides aircraft, including helicopters, and in London, NPAS responds to requests for support predominately from the Metropolitan Police Service but also British Transport Police and the City of London Police.
NPAS deploys helicopters after completing a threat, harm and risk assessment; and only deploy them when necessary. In 2019 a total of 3727 calls for service were delivered to the Metropolitan Police Service or City of London Police, an average of 10 per day.
The existing fleet of aircraft are compliant with regulation [International Civil Aviation Authority, Chapter 8 noise, Chapter 8 and Annex 16] and are amongst the quietest within their category.
Asked by: Matthew Pennycook (Labour - Greenwich and Woolwich)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the geographical extent of the compulsory helicopter route under the London City control zone.
Answered by John Hayes
The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) is conducting a review of helicopter operations and the associated route structure around London to ensure that procedures remain fit for purpose. As part of its Regulatory Safety Management System the CAA is also conducting a review relating to the increase of tall structures along the River Thames.
Asked by: Matthew Pennycook (Labour - Greenwich and Woolwich)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of extending London City CTR control zones eastward to restrict helicopter flights over the Maritime Greenwich UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Answered by John Hayes
No such assessment has been made.
Asked by: Tom Brake (Liberal Democrat - Carshalton and Wallington)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the commitment in the Aviation Policy Framework to monitor the effect of helicopter movements in London, what information has been collected since the publication of that framework on the effect of such movements; and what steps he is taking to make such data available to the public.
Answered by John Hayes
The CAA publishes data for helicopter operations within the London (Heathrow) and London City Control Zones (CTRs) at the link below:
This data is all available to the public and includes the following information, broken down on a daily basis from 2007 to the present:
There are also annual summaries of helicopter movements dating back to 2007.
Asked by: Jim Fitzpatrick (Labour - Poplar and Limehouse)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what regulatory arrangements require airlines to use the quietest aircraft for early morning and late night flights into London's airports; and by what means are those arrangements enforced.
Answered by Robert Goodwill
The Government sets night flight restrictions at the three busiest London airports; Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted, which are designated for noise control purposes under the Civil Aviation Act 1982. As well as limiting the number of movements allowed within an airline season, these restrictions place requirements on the aircraft that can operate during the night period, and place seasonal limits on the amount of noise energy that can be emitted at each airport.
All aircraft are given a Quota Count (QC) number based on their noise during take-off and landing, with the noisier aircraft given a higher QC rating. QC/4 aircraft are not allowed to be scheduled during the night quota period (2330 to 0600), and the highest rated QC/8 and QC/16 aircraft are prevented from operating at all during the entire night period (2300 to 0700).
Each airport is given a seasonal noise quota, with aircraft with higher QC ratings using more of this quota per movement. The noise quota limit is designed to encourage the use of quieter aircraft by allowing airports to maximise the number of movements during any season through the use of aircraft with a lower quota count.
The Government regularly monitors the movement and noise quota usage at all three airports, including restrictions on the noisiest aircraft, to ensure compliance. It should be noted that these restrictions do not preclude noisier aircraft from using these airports in the case of emergencies or severe disruption, or with prior Government approval, such as for disaster relief flights.
The Government does not set night restrictions at any of London’s other international airports, but these operate their own restrictions, which are usually agreed as planning conditions:
Enforcement at these airports is a matter between airlines and the airport, or the local planning authority if relevant.
It should also be noted that airports are able to incentivise airlines to use their quietest aircraft during the night and early morning by charging higher landing fees for noisier planes at these times.