Aircraft noise explained
Aircraft noise explained
As long as people fly, there’ll be aircraft noise. And while millions of us rely on flying, there is also a downside for people who live or work near airports and under flight paths.
Of course, some people get used to the noise, just as people living near busy roads and often get used to traffic noise, but many don’t and continue to be disturbed by it.
It is Gatwick Airport's responsibility, together with the Government, airlines and Air Traffic Control (ATC), to do something about this noise. Although we can’t cut it out completely, we do work to minimise it. We’re also committed to explaining what you’re hearing and why.
Until the mid 1990s, most of the information about aircraft noise came from the Government. Since then, we’ve taken over this because we’ve got the technical knowledge, and we’re in daily contact with both ATC and the airlines.
So, although we don’t tell the planes where to fly (that’s ATC ), or set the routes they fly (that’s the Government), or fly the planes (the airlines), it’s us that provides all the information and acts as go-between between the public and the industry.
And that’s what this website is for, as over the following pages we explain the main issues about aircraft noise, describe what we’re doing about it, and answer your most frequent questions on the subject.
