Living Near the Airport
We recognise that operating a major international airport can affect the lives of people who live nearby. Its effects include noise, congestion from road traffic, air pollution and loss of open land as well an impact on the local countryside.
There are a number of difficult issues to manage, especially on environmental impact and surface access. Over 22,000 people live within the airport’s 60 db Laeq noise contour and over 80,000 vehicles come to the airport site on a busy day.
To tackle these issues, we are implementing detailed action plans on Environment, Ground Transport and Land Use. These are available to download for free from our archive.
We try very hard to be a good neighbour and aim to give something back to the most affected communities, providing mitigation and compensation or through financial and practical support.
Change to the position of aircraft arriving from the Southwest in Easterly winds
The direction of aircraft landing or taking off is determined by weather conditions and principally the wind direction. In the UK the prevailing wind is westerly; in these conditions arriving aircraft approach from the northeast over Stockport and depart to the southwest towards and around Knutsford.
Air travel is governed the most stringent safety regulation of any transport industry and safety directives supersede all other considerations. During periods of easterly winds the usual flight patterns are reversed; with departing aircraft taking off towards Stockport and inbound aircraft arrive from the southwest over Cheshire.
Easterly winds historically affect an average of 20% of our movements per annum. Therefore you should not be subjected to disturbance on a permanent basis, only when the weather conditions necessitate. Of course the 20%/80% split is an average figure and so there are periods of greater exposure and times when there is far less, as we are dependent upon meteorological conditions for this split.
Easterly operations can cause greater community concern and for this reason our policy is ‘preferential use of Runway 23R/L (ie: Westerly)’. Air Traffic Control are fully co-operative with this policy and will use 23 whenever it is safe to do so. For more information please see our runway data sheet.
Aircraft landing at Manchester Airport are usually able to use a precision approach path called the Instrument Landing System. The Instrument Landing System landing aircraft follow the same path and are at the same height over similar locations. The Instrument Landing System descends all aircraft at a rate of 3 degrees. Its’ accuracy is such that many aircraft have the ability to land ‘blind’ in poor weather.
The Runway 1 Instrument Landing Systems are now fifteen years old and require replacement. We have already replaced the ILS used by aircraft approaching over Stockport and now need to replace the one used by aircraft landing over Knutsford on to Runway 1.
On Tuesday 6th April the ILS used by aircraft approaching from the Southwest over Knutsford and landing on to Runway 1 will be switched off and dismantled. Works can then commence to install the replacement ILS. We anticipate that the new ILS will be operational by week commencing Monday 17th May and after this time aircraft will return to their usual precision path.
Between Tuesday 6th April and week commencing Monday 17th May when we experience Easterly winds and aircraft are landing on to Runway 1 they will use other navigational aids to make non-precision approaches, which is perfectly safe, but means they may not be in the usual position and may make a little more noise. When the Instrument Landing System is again available it will establish an extended centreline to the Southwest in the same way as the previous System.
We are aware that these operations may cause some disturbance. We are working with the installation team to ensure that they are aware of the disturbance caused to our local community and to ensure that all possible effort is put in to completing the work as quickly as possible.