Gatwick's role
It is our role to manage noise issues around the airport
The policy framework and guidelines for managing noise are set at a national and international level but as the airport operator, it is Gatwick’s responsibility to manage noise locally around the airport.
To do this, we have a number of policies, work-plans, mitigation schemes and agreements in place and also carry out research, airspace trials and operational changes in order to identify opportunities to further reduce the impact of aviation noise.
Our commitment and goals
We are committed to reducing noise at or around our airport and have significantly increased the level of focus in addressing the challenges arising from aircraft noise over recent years. We also recognise, however, that noise continues to remain an area of concern for local communities. While we can't eliminate aircraft noise completely, our goal is to reduce it as much as possible and Gatwick employs a multi-faceted approach to aircraft noise management.
How we engage locally
Our strategy to reduce noise includes engagement with a wide range of industry and community stakeholders and a number of distinct yet complimentary reporting processes that involve a number of obligations, action plan actions and limits. These can primarily be found in:
- The Section 106 agreement under the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 with Crawley Borough Council and West Sussex County Council.
- Our Decade of Change report which is at the core of our journey towards a sustainable Gatwick.
- Our Environmental Noise Directive Noise Action Plan for 2019 to 2025.
Due to the number of stakeholders involved in noise management, Gatwick Airport works closely with stakeholders from across the industry. It uses its own engagement groups to discuss topics with airlines, air traffic control and community stakeholders. Engaging with these groups allows us to understand issues and then explore how they can be practically solved.
Community groups include:
- Gatwick Airport Consultative Committee (GATCOM) and its Steering Group.
- Noise and Track Monitoring Advisory Group (NaTMAG)
- Noise Management Board (NMB )
- Section 106 Local Authority Engagement
Industry groups include:
- Flight Operations Performance and Safety Committee (FLOPSC)
- Sustainable Aviation
- Department for Transport Aircraft Noise Management Advisory Committee (ANMAC)
- Department for Transport Airspace and Noise Engagement Group (ANEG)
- Industry Resilience Group (IRG)