Environmental Facts

Size. Gatwick is the second largest airport in the UK, and has a serious adverse effect on the environment, both globally and locally.

In the year to end March 2008 Gatwick handled 35.6 million passengers, i.e. 17.8 million return trips. In the year to end March 2008 there were 260,563 traffic movements, an average of over 700 a day, and about 40 an hour during the day. At peak times a rate is reached of nearly one movement a minute.

Location. Gatwick is situated 28 miles south of London, in West Sussex County, and in Crawley Borough. The northern boundary of the airport adjoins Surrey County. The boundaries of Horsham District, Mole Valley District, Reigate and Banstead Borough, and Tandridge District all adjoin the airport.

Countryside. The countryside around Gatwick, thanks to strict planning policies, is attractive and unspoilt - its main characteristic being woods and small fields and historic villages. All the land to the north of the airport is designated as Green Belt where development is prohibited. There are three nationally designated Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) within 15 miles of the airport, and they almost encircle the airport on west, north and east. The main industrial and commercial development associated with the airport has been confined to the Crawley industrial area to the south of the airport. Further information click here

Noise. Noise from aircraft taking off was substantially reduced between 1980 and 2002 as a result of the banning of the noisiest types (Chapter 2) aircraft as from 2002, but is still a serious problem. There has been little change in noise from landing aircraft, but the numbers continue to increase. The continuous descent approach (CDA) procedure (introduced as a result of pressure from environmental groups) has made a small improvement but only at distances of 15-25 miles from the airport. BAA has given out misleading information that aircraft on CDA 'normally' descend at 3º whereas in fact any aircraft even descending at 1º are said to comply with CDA. Thus many aircraft are below the 'normal' height. Moreover, during the day, 1 in 5 aircraft fail to achieve CDA.

Flight Paths. Aircraft landing at Gatwick are required to join the Instrument Landing System glide slope (a straight line at 3 degrees) not lower than 2000 feet by day and 3000 feet by night. In practice many are instructed by air traffic control to fly in line with the runway, that is east or west of Gatwick, for the final 10-15 miles. Before joining this glide slope most aircraft arrive from the south, with the effect that most of Sussex is overflown.

Aircraft taking off are required to keep to Noise Preferential Routes, designed to avoid local towns. (The Standard Instrument Departure routes roughly coincide with the NPRs.) After aircraft reach a height of 3,000 or 4,000 feet (which modern aircraft reach fairly close to the airport) they can be ‘vectored’, that is told by Air Traffic Control to take any route. This means that no part of Surrey, Sussex or west Kent can any longer be defined as a 'tranquil area'.

Noise Contour Maps. Produced annually by the Department for Transport (DfT), these maps are useful for measuring changes from one year to another, or for comparing one airport with another. They show the average noise (leq) for an average summer day. The average noise should not be confused with the maximum noise (lmax) measured in decibels (dBA)

The 57 leq contour is taken by DfT as indicating the onset of significant community annoyance, based on surveys at Heathrow. But in rural areas noise causes greater disturbance because other background noise is lower, and greater annoyance because the expectation of peace is greater.

The number of people within the Gatwick 57 leq contour was 9,000 in 2000, 3,500 in 2002, 4,500 in 2006 and rose again to 4,800 in 2007. Further information

ANASE A research study commissioned by the Department for Transport has found that the level of annoyance is considerably higher than indicated by the leq contour maps. ANASE details.

Noise Limits. Maximum noise limits for aircraft taking off are 94 dBA by day; 89 dBA between 2300 and 2330, and between 0600 and 0700. At night, between 1130 and 0600, the limit is 87 dBA. The noise levels are measured by noise monitors situated approximately 6.5 km from the start of take-off. There are penalties (£500/1000) on aircraft which exceed the limits, and these are paid into a Community Fund. But because the limits have not been reduced since March 2002, when the noisy Chapter 2 aircraft were banned, few aircraft now exceed the limits. There are no limits on noise caused by aircraft on approach.

GACC has suggested to the Department for Transport that as part of the Noise Action Plan required under an EU Directive the noise limits should be reduced.

Noise Insulation BAA provide grants for double glazing houses near the airport. The BAA plans can be seen at www.gatwickairport.com/homeinsulation GACC has given the proposals a modest welcome but say that it is sad that they come 50 years too late, and that they cover too small an area. Response

Night Flights. The noisiest types of aircraft are banned between 11.00 pm and 7.00 am. The number of flights between 11.30 pm and 6.00 am is limited by a quota - at present 11,200 in the summer (seven months) and 3,250 in winter. In summer 2007 the actual number of night flights was 10,173 (average 50 a night), and in winter 2007/08 2,929.

There is also a separate quota system based on noise, with noisy aircraft using more points. Aircraft are classified as QC1, QC2, QC4 etc. A QC4 aircraft uses four points and makes twice as much noise as a QC2. A QC2 uses two points and makes twice as much noise as a QC1. In summer 2007 the noise quota was 6,700 points, and in winter 2007/08 it was 2,240 points. In summer 2007 the actual number of points used was 5,328, and in winter 2007-8 the actual number of points used was 1,542. There has been a change in classification which makes it difficult to compare past and future figures. Full details

In 2006 the government announced its decision on the number of night flights from Gatwick for the six years 2007 - 2012. The number of night flights remains at roughly the previous level but there is a gradual 10% reduction in the amount of noise permitted at night. The noisiest aircraft were banned (except when delayed). GACC welcomed this small improvement. GACC press release

Gatwick will still have more night flights than Stansted, and twice as many as Heathrow. The total level of noise permitted at night each year at Gatwick will be greater than at Stansted but less than at Heathrow. GACC has produced a table showing in statistical form the present night flight situation, the consultation proposals, what BAA and the airlines asked for, and the government decision compared to Heathrow and Stansted. Table

Climate Change. As the second largest airport in the UK, Gatwick has a big responsibility for the contribution of aviation to climate change. Aviation is the industry with the fastest growing contribution to climate change. Aircraft emissions are particularly damaging because they occur at high altitude, and include both CO2 and NO2. Aircraft also add to global warming because they create vapour trails and cirrus cloud.

The government has stated that aviation accounts for 12% of UK climate change damage, due to rise to 29% by 2050. This figure includes the greater damage done by aircraft emissions at high altitude (the radiative forcing effect), but excludes the damage caused by the formation of cirrus clouds. It also excludes return flights by UK citizens.

According to the Department for Transport, aircraft departing from Gatwick in 2005 emitted 4.8 million tonnes of CO2. DfT figures (see page 69).

These figures confirm GACC calculations that (taking radiative forcing into account) UK citizens on return flights from Gatwick each year are responsible for emissions equivalent to about 20 million tonnes of CO2. That is more than the total emissions from all of Surrey and West Sussex - industry, vans and lorries, private cars, and the heating and lighting of homes and offices. For further information see

Local Pollution. The most serious threat to the health of local residents, particularly those suffering from respiratory problems such as bronchitis or asthma, is NO2. Reigate and Banstead Borough Council have expressed concern that in parts of Horley pollution levels are only slightly below EU limits - which become legally binding in 2010.

Road Traffic. With an average of over 80,000 passengers a day, and around 25,000 employees on airport, Gatwick generates a large volume of road traffic. This adds to congestion on the M25, and is particularly serious on the rural roads east and west of the airport. It also adds to local pollution.

For many years BAA has had a target that 40% of passengers should arrive or depart by public transport (to reduce pollution and pressure on the road system). The proportion is now 35%. The proportion of staff travelling by public transport is, however, increasing as a result of the new Fastway bus system but is still only about 25%.