A London MP has made a fresh call for planes at Heathrow airport to be banned from taking off or landing at night, arguing that her constituents are kept up by the “roar of jet engines”.
Richmond Park MP Sarah Olney has said that night flights are having a “catastrophic impact” on residents' health and has called on the Government to produce a report on the benefits of banning flights from arriving or leaving airports between 11pm and 6am.
The Liberal Democrat has received cross party support from six MPs for her Prohibition of Night Flights Bill, which could pave the way for a ban on night flights.
Mrs Olney said: “Millions of people living under flight paths like my constituents in Richmond Park are often woken in the middle of the night by the roar of jet engines.
“It’s affecting their health, work, and personal lives, yet Conservative ministers are still tone deaf to the problem.
“The Government dogmatically spits out the line that these flights are vital to the economy, but they’ve never assessed the real damage night flights are doing to people’s lives.
“Rather than keeping their heads in the sand, ministers should support this legislation and take concrete steps to understand the damage these flights are having on our communities.”
The MP first began campaigning against night flights after the number of late running arrivals to Heathrow airport shot up from 86 to 709 between 2021 and 2022.
The politician has argued night flights are the most intrusive and damaging form of airport noise, leading to an increased risk of stroke, cardiovascular issues, mood swings, and alcohol and drug dependency.
Heathrow airport previously banned night flying from the airport between midnight and 4.30am following a Parliamentary debate on the topic in November 2022.
During the debate Mrs Olney called for scheduled flights to be banned at Heathrow airport between 11pm and 6am and argued disturbance was “completely avoidable”.
The airport received an extra 8,000 noise complaints in 2023, according to the MP.
Heathrow airport and the Department for Transport have been contacted for comment.
