I received the following email letter today, and I thought it would be useful to share it with local residents. Luton airport is an important local employer, as well as a very important public transport hub for us all, but it does create some problems. The CAA are keen to hear your views.

Steve.

Letter from CAA

Dear Cllr Hemingway

The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) is currently consulting on a new decision making process for all future airspace changes.

This consultation ends on June 30.

The rules, regulations and technology that underpin the UK’s airspace and network of flight paths have remained largely unchanged despite the growing increase in demand for air travel in the UK.

As a result, London Luton’s ability to modify and improve flight paths is not only restricted by conflicts with routes from other London airports but also by a slow and inefficient airspace change process.

The guidance the CAA has drafted defines what will happen in the new process, including each stage a sponsor of an airspace change, such as LLA must complete; the stakeholders we must engage with at each stage and the expectations of that engagement; and how the CAA assesses proposed changes.

London Luton Airport is submitting a formal response to the consultation. However, we believe it is vital that everyone has the opportunity to contribute to the process of airspace modernisation.

Details of the consultation and how to respond can be found on the CAA’s website.

We encourage all interested parties to take part before the deadline. Whilst we can never eliminate aircraft noise entirely, we always aim to work constructively with local communities and our partners to strike the right balance between minimising the impact of aircraft noise while maximising the positive social and economic benefits of a successful airport.

Yours sincerely

Neil Thompson Operations Director