Leeds Bradford Airport: Campaigners accuse airport of exceeding limit on night flights during summer season

A formal complaint has been submitted to Leeds City Council by airport campaigners Group for Action on Leeds Bradford Airport (GALBA), who claim LBA exceeded the number of night flights it was allowed to operate by over 600 flights.

There are limits on the number of take-offs and landings between 11pm and 7am to protect the health of people living under the flight path. LBA’s limit for the 2022 summer season, which spanned from March 27 to October 30, was 2,920. However, GALBA has claimed their monitoring has shown a significant exceeding of the limit.

Andy Tate, a member of GALBA who lives under a flight path in north west Leeds, said: “We’ve monitored the number of night flights over the summer season using real time flight data information available online. LBA was allowed 2,920 night flights but we have found that LBA actually operated an incredible 600 more flights than allowed.

"Night time flying is bad news for anyone living under the flight path. The disturbance from these flights is a major cause of all kinds of serious health issues. That’s why there are rules – to protect the public. We are asking Leeds City Council to put the health of Leeds and Bradford citizens before the profits of LBA. The Council has a duty to stop the airport from breaking the night flight rules.”

The group has said that by 7am on October 27, they had recorded 3,496 night flights, a number that is 576 above the limit. GALBA has claimed that with night flights consistently exceeding 10 per night, the 600 mark will have been passed before the end of the summer season.

Ian Coatman, another GALBA member, said: “LBA’s recent controversial planning application - which they abandoned in March this year - would have allowed the airport to almost double its passenger numbers. Although LBA tried to hide it, the most important part of that application was for a big increase in the number of night flights.

“Even though they dropped their planning application, LBA’s bosses have repeatedly claimed this year that the airport would double in size anyway. That raised a lot of eyebrows because LBA is limited by strict rules on the number of passengers and, crucially, the number of night flights they can operate. Now we see what they meant - LBA appears to be simply ignoring the rules.”

GALBA has said their monitoring took permitted exceptions, such as emergencies or late arrivals of aircraft that cannot normally fly at night, into account. Leeds City Council has confirmed a complaint made against LBA is being investigated. An LCC spokesperson said: “We are currently investigating a complaint made against Leeds Bradford Airport in relation to night time flights.”

A spokesperson for LBA said: “We work closely with Leeds City Council on all matters relating to the airport’s planning consent, and will liaise with them on any issues raised in respect of how that consent is implemented. We take our responsibilities on operating flights seriously and will continue to report on them in an open and transparent way.”