Edinburgh Airport Chief Executive Gordon Dewar visits Five Sisters Zoo, West Calder to announce the public consultation into proposed new flight paths
Edinburgh Airport has big plans to grow, but it needs to take local residents along with it, and so today Chief Executive Gordon Dewar launched the second stage of a public consultation. The airport boss says that answers from the first stage conducted last year have been used to influence this part.
The airport wants to change the flight paths in and out, claiming that the existing ones rely on 1950s technology with ground-based radio beacons.
Any new flight paths will be introduced using up to the minute navigation technology which allows aircraft to follow a route more precisely.
The public consultation is called ‘You Spoke and We Listened” and in the new consultation documents there are details of all proposed new routes.
The airport says that if the CAA approve the new flight paths preferred by them, then planes will affect fewer residents than they presently do and fewer people will be affected by noise.
This would also mean that the airport would have less of an impact on the environment.
Speaking in West Lothian today, Gordon Dewar, Edinburgh Airport’s Chief Executive, said: “Today I have written to over 640,000 households across Edinburgh, the Lothians, Falkirk and Fife outlining the design of the flight paths and seeking the public’s views on the proposals of a range of options in and out of Edinburgh Airport.
“Our proposed flight paths are a balance of interests focused on three key factors; impact on communities, airspace regulation as well as airport and aircraft operations. Edinburgh Airport and the aviation sector in general are strongly growing parts of a still sluggish Scottish economy – and we have get this right for the sake of jobs in Scotland and environmental considerations.
“At the very heart of our proposals are the findings of the initial consultation – we have listened to the public in finding a solution.
“The bottom line is that our proposed changes would mean a reduction in noise for nearly 25,000 people.
“We have worked closely with key stakeholders including community and environmental groups and our proposed changes would reduce the noise impact on the community, reduce emissions and allow us to continue to meet growing demand safely and sustainably.
“In this second stage of public consultation we will be reaching out again to our neighbouring communities. Our community engagement campaign will be backed up by media advertising and a locally targeted social media campaign to provide information relating to drop-in sessions and links to the feedback pages of the website.
“We will host drop-in sessions in communities and A mobile advertising trailer will be in the area in the days prior to highlight this opportunity.
“In the initial consultation over 5,000 members of the public responded to the consultation. This time, with lines on the map, we look forward to hearing from even more people.
“As with all major infrastructure expansion plans, we know that not everyone will agree with our proposals; therefore we are committed – where people are adversely impacted by changes – to mitigation and compensation measures.”
You can have a look at the second consultation document here :
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Open in new tab Scottish Green MSPs say the launch of a further wave of consultation by Edinburgh Airport is “pointless” given the strong public opposition to expansion plans.
Green MSPs Alison Johnstone, Andy Wightman and Mark Ruskell have been contacted by concerned residents across Lothian region and Fife, as changes to flight routes would negatively affect many communities.
Alison Johnstone, Scottish Green MSP for Lothian, said: “At no point has the option of not expanding been considered. This latest so-called consultation is pointless as it wrongly assumes that more air travel in and out of Edinburgh is a good thing.
“Expansion will clearly have a region-wide impact on people and wildlife from aircraft noise and air pollution, and a national impact from increased climate change emissions. We need a wider conversation about alternatives.
“During public meetings last year, airport representatives talked about doubling take off times from one flight every two minutes to one flight a minute. This isn’t discussed anywhere in the consultation, so the public are not being given the full facts.
“The responses from the last consultation showed a majority were negative. Green MSPs will continue to challenge Edinburgh Airport’s profit-driven motives and put forward sustainable ways to support our economy.”
Photos Ian Georgeson t 07921 567360
Founding Editor of The Edinburgh Reporter.
Edinburgh-born multimedia journalist and iPhoneographer.
I would hate to think that all those opposed to the expansion are part of the record breaking pax numbers.
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