Understanding Airspace Above Your Home

Free events for All communities of Sussex, Surrey and Kent

• Should you be worried that aircraft will now fly over their home, when they didn’t before?

• Concerned about the changes to airspace above your home?

• Don’t understand airspace terminology?

• Want to know what Gatwick’s plans are for modernising the airspace above your home?

CAGNE (the umbrella aviation community and environment group for Sussex, Surrey, and Kent) are staging three FREE online events, to help all communities understand airspace in layman’s terms – Wednesday 15th and 22nd and 6th July. Book here to attend – www.cagne.org

As anger grows towards the government’s modernisation of airspace (FASIS), as Gatwick targets new flight paths over new communities, especially those in rural locations. CAGNE feels this is a good time to help all communities to understand the ramifications of FASIS, on house values and communities’ wellbeing.

CAGNE has argued with Gatwick Airport management, government, the Civil Aviation Authority, local authorities, and members of parliament, that the FASIS process to date ‘is not fair to all communities’.

‘It benefits the Gatwick Airport management to keep things secret for now, and simply be selective in its engagement, while seeking growth and greater profits; they only consult some of those currently overflown and local authorities that have a vested interest in Gatwick’s greater profits,’ says CAGNE and asks –

· Should a corporate organisation, such as Gatwick Airport, be allowed to undertake such action against hard-working families who purchased their homes in good faith – having probably paid a premium not to endure aircraft noise?

· As no compensation will be offered by Gatwick Airport with FASIS, how will newly-impacted homeowners be able to move away and deal with negative-equity mortgages?

Alarmingly, Gatwick seeks to finalise the ‘design principles’ of the CAA consultation process (CAP1616) by the end of May, before going to the public for comment.

The CAGNE prediction is the creation of more noise groups, with more anger towards Gatwick Airport and the government, due to the FASIS process.

The proposals in FASIS are about benefiting shareholders and the flyer, making airspace ready for modern-day flying, freeing up airspace to benefit growth, and automating air traffic control for efficiency, resilience and saving CO2.

CAGNE, like environmentalists, question the CO2 savings – ‘more planes will emit more CO2’. And ask ‘what about the NOx, PM2.5 particles (that cause health issues) and soot, that account for far more pollution than carbon alone?’

Note - The government signed up to the modernisation of airspace, known in the southeast as Future Airspace Strategy Implementation South (FASIS), saying this would be good news for communities. To date, little has been seen in the Gatwick Airport plans that will benefit all communities. If anything, proposals seek to fly over those that have not been flown over before.

Gatwick has sought to consult a very narrow forum of noise groups and councils, while not engaging with town and parish councils that would be affected by any changes. Because of this, much of what has been put forward at stages 1 and 2 of the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) consultation process, CAP 1616, has been from noise groups further from the runway.