Airport campaigners, the Group for Action on Leeds Bradford Airport (GALBA) have sent a formal complaint to Leeds City Council about the number of night flights from LBA during summer 2022.
GALBA say that the airport exceeded the number of flights it is allowed to operate at night by over 600 and they have asked Leeds City Council to investigate potential rule breaking.
Ian Coatman is a GALBA member who lives in Horsforth, near the airport. He said: “LBA’s recent controversial planning application - which they abandoned in March this year - would have allowed the airport to almost double its passenger numbers.
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"Although LBA tried to hide it, the most important part of that application was for a big increase in the number of night flights.”
“Even though they dropped their planning application, LBA’s bosses have repeatedly claimed this year that the airport would double in size anyway.
"That raised a lot of eyebrows because LBA is limited by strict rules on the number of passengers and, crucially, the number of night flights they can operate. Now we see what they meant - LBA appears to be simply ignoring the rules!”
In order to protect the health of those living under the LBA flight path, there are strict limits to the number of take-offs and landings between 11pm and 7am. It was found that LBA's quota for the 2022 summer period was 2,920 - GALBA's monitoring has revealed that the airport significantly exceeded the night time limit.
Andy Tate, a GALBA member who lives under the flight path in north west Leeds, said: “We’ve monitored the number of night flights over the summer season using real time flight data information available online.
"LBA was allowed 2,920 night flights but we have found that LBA actually operated an incredible 600 more flights than allowed.
"Night time flying is bad news for anyone living under the flight path.
"The disturbance from these flights is a major cause of all kinds of serious health issues. That’s why there are rules – to protect the public.
"We are asking Leeds City Council to put the health of Leeds and Bradford citizens before the profits of LBA. The Council has a duty to stop the airport from breaking the night flight rules.”
A spokesperson for Leeds Bradford Airport said: “We work closely with Leeds City Council on all matters relating to the airport’s planning consent, and will liaise with them on any issues raised in respect of how that consent is implemented. We take our responsibilities on operating flights seriously and will continue to report on them in an open and transparent way.”
A spokesperson for Leeds City Council said: “We are currently investigating a complaint made against Leeds Bradford Airport in relation to night time flights.”
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