Aircraft noise impacts debated in Parliament

In a debate in the House of Commons yesterday, Under Secretary of State for Transport Mike Kane said "we need to strike a fair balance between the impact of aviation on the local environment and communities, and the economic benefits that flights bring. That is the challenge for aviation noise policy,"  acknowledging that aircraft noise is a sensitive issue. He was responding to Sarah Olney, MP for Richmond Park who requested the debate on aircraft noise and local communiites. She urged the Department for Transport to acknowledge the health impacts of night flights on airport communities and work to ban them above heavily populated areas. Munira Wilson MP for Twickenham also expressed concern about the impacts of noise from flights on children's learning. In responding, Mike Kane set out the current regimes to manage aircraft noise, and research that is now underway on aircraft noise and health, and the forthcoming review of airspace.