18 Dec 2014

Noise complaints force flight path change

10:53 am on 18 December 2014

Proposed flight-path changes into Auckland airport have been altered after complaints from the city's residents.

People living in the suburbs of Epsom, Royal Oak, One Tree Hill and Onehunga say aircraft trialing the new satellite-guided flight approaches have been too low and too noisy.

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Proposed flight path changes have been altered after complaints from residents. Photo: AFP

Read the final report on the flight path trial : (3.18MB- 56 pages)

As a result of this feedback and technical analysis of the trials, three approaches have been changed, making flight paths higher and curved in some places.

Board of Airline Representatives executive director John Beckett told Morning Report the flight paths were an improvement on the original routes.

"It means the aircraft can fly faster without reaching the speed limit on the curve which keeps them quieter ... so less noise in parts of the flight."

Mr Beckett said it had been a big job to redesign the routes and the plan was for them to become permanent.

"We will be monitoring just what happens every 12 months so that we're in a position to see how it works for the airlines, how it works for the airport and for the residents of Auckland."

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