Night Flights and Quiet Night Charter update - 2018 Airspace and Noise Performance Team June 2018
What are Night Flights? Flights that occur between 23:00-07:00 (Night Period) and 23:30-06:00 (Night Quota Period) 23:00-07:00 restriction on types noisiest aircraft cannot operate 23:30-06:00 further type restrictions + limits on movements and quota count points DfT set movement and Quota Count (QC) limits per season, for a 5-year period Two seasons winter and summer 2018 notable events January, February, and March all highly disrupted by snow April EXCDS May thunderstorms June??
Number of flights Classification: Public The early morning arrivals picture (between 04:30 and 06:00) 600 500 400 300 200 100 0 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Non-dispensed Dispensed
Number of flights Classification: Public Pre-06:00 arrivals that were scheduled for post 06:00 70 EXCDS (55) + Winds 60 50 40 ATC Disruption 30 Snow Snow Weather disruption 20 10 0 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Dispensed
Number of flights Classification: Public Late evening arrivals (23:30 04:30) 30 25 20 ATC Disruption Weather disruption 15 Snow 10 Snow 5 0 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Non-dispensed Dispensed
Number of flights Classification: Public Late evening departures (23:30 04:30) 100 90 80 ATC Disruption 70 60 50 40 Snow Snow 30 20 10 0 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Non-dispensed Dispensed
2018 notable events Classification: Public January, February, and March all highly disrupted by snow April EXCDS May thunderstorms June?? Image shows a BA flight from Paris to Heathrow. Due to thunderstorms in Europe this is the route the aircraft flew around those storms. This added approximately 230 miles of flight distance. CDG LHR is 215 miles. Aircraft arrived at 00:13.
Interventions At anytime during the day, but certainly in the lead up to 23:30, our Airport Operational Duty Manager (AODM) will be talking to their Airfield Duty Manager (AfDM) colleagues, airlines, ATC, and the wider European ATC Network to work on ways of minimising Night Flights. Or if they cannot be avoided, working to get them in or out of Heathrow as quickly as possible. In the past we have made interventions that have meant an airline has managed to avoid a Night Flight.
Some recent examples from May and June 22:25 Call made to MEA (Middle East Airlines) Duty Manager for update on tech flight on stand 351, will delay 21i* closure. No indication of time yet. No NJM (Night Jet Movement) approved. 22:30 Update with AfDM, works teams for 21i still in briefing so area will not be closing yet. 21i will remain open until either the MEA has taxied from 351 or has been night stopped. 22:55 MEA call, flight now serviceable and awaiting tug, should be pushed in next 15 minutes. 23:12 Update with MEA, if not pushed in next couple of minutes will not be approved for departure. Duty manager confirms doors now closed and pilot about to call up. Tower informed and request made for earliest intersection to provide best opportunity to beat curfew. 23:28 ME1202 airborne! * 21i refers to an area of the airfield (Block 21 Inner)
Some recent examples from May and June 23:22 Call from Tower Supervisor to warn that BA245 unlikely to be able to take-off before the curfew, AODM request for ATC to encourage flight crew to consider taking earlier runway entry point or otherwise expedite their departure. 23:23 Call to BA Network Ops to advise they will likely have to use one of their NJM allocation if they want to depart the BA245. BA happy to proceed on this basis. 23:25 ATC asked BA245 flight crew to report ready to roll on reaching, flight crew acknowledged. 23:29 Crew report ready to roll and depart; last departure: BA245 on 09R. NJM avoided.
Some recent examples from May and June 21:00 Call from Lufthansa Duty Mgr. CB (thunderstorms) regulation delaying flights out of Munich, with LH2484 ETA around 23:45, movement approved until 00:00, Lufthansa working on slot improvement, but Munich very busy, so likely to arrive very close to curfew either way. 21:58 Improved slot given and aircraft is departing Munich. 23:29 LH2484 lands and vacates avoiding NJM!
Some recent examples from May and June 21:11 Call made to TAP (Portugal) Duty Manager to discuss TP362 that has only just gone airborne from Lisbon. ETA 23:31! No approval given to operate past the curfew so TAP requested to look for an improved ETA through ATC etc, or plan for arrival at alternate airfield. TAP reminded they are not permitted to operate in curfew for the summer season. 22:30 Update with Tower Supervisor on TP362, NATS Area Control and Terminal Control will attempt to shorten route and allow for greater speed in order to arrive prior to curfew. 22:40 TP Duty Manager calls to state that if unable to land by 23:29 the flight will divert to Birmingham. 23:05 Call with Tower Supervisor, TP362 currently being given speed approximately 50 knots faster than any other flight in airspace - around 477kts - in order to make curfew, ETA currently 23:25. 23:19 TP362 lands after a shortened track and brisk approach, excellent work all round!
Quiet Night Charter Work with airline representatives has been positive and made progress on the assessment and selection of likely initiatives for inclusion in the Charter, including: Provision of meaningful respite periods Broader and more timely intervention what and how this can mitigate or avoid a night flight Improved analysis to help inform and assess areas for further improvement and intervention Investment across a broad range of activities, not purely financial Recognising existing activities and approaches that support the mitigation, avoidance, and influencing the minimising of night flights Recognising the competing issues for the airlines and the airport (commercial, financial, operational, reputational) the QNC is not a set of operating restrictions, therefore selection of the most practical options has taken time and commitment. The next Working Group should confirm selection of 8 initiatives, each including a broad scope of activities and commitment, that will be measurable and with defined outcomes to drive the behaviours required for success. Drafting of the Charter is underway with a level of consultation across the airlines to be conducted via the AOC during the summer period.
Quiet Night Charter Intent is for the Working Group to morph into a Governance Group in order to: Review and analyse performance Capture successes (and failures) Gain feedback Share and educate best practice Amend the Charter with updated and potentially new initiatives Record and report future investment (not just financial) Reflect the ongoing drive to reduce and mitigate night noise Link with the HCNF Governance for the future Governance Group to be agreed going forward.