COMMENT: Noise – Let’s get a balanced view

This will be a short editorial that will probably not go down well in certain quarters.

Your Editor is thoroughly cheesed off with (mainly TV) reporters who interview citizens living near airports complaining about noise. 

Surely the first question is “When did you move to your present location and were you aware that there was an airport nearby?” And as an addition, “Do you use said airport?”

The air transport industry is a responsible business and perfectly aware that aeroplanes make noise and pollution although far less than other engineering outlets.  It has taken enormous strides over the last 50 years.  For those that can remember the early Boeing 707s were notorious for their racket and dark smoke.  Concorde’s Olympus engines roared, and we have even moved on since the Dash 7 and BAe 146 were only allowed into London City Airport 25 years ago due to their much-reduced sound footprint.  The A380 is a quiet neighbour.

The BAA is to be applauded in the way it is conducting trials at Heathrow on the split use of runways.  However if you tell the world in advance what you are doing the world knows and is ready to protest.  Uncorroborated complaint figures were announced on TV.  Going back to London City, trials took place of a new aircraft but an announcement was only made some weeks later when the results of ground monitoring was available.  It was at that point that the whinges came in.

Airports and airlines make for good television.  We all appreciate that.  But let’s have a balanced view in the future.  Aviation is the lifeblood of the country.  If we are to move ahead there has to be some give and take.  And unprejudiced TV.

Malcolm Ginsberg
Editor in Chief

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