Campaigners against a third runway at Heathrow believe residents in west London are suffering more noise from a new breed of aircraft that the Government promised would be quieter.
Residents claim there has been “insufferable” misery for thousands living close to the flight path since double-decker Airbus A380 planes began replacing Boeing 747s.
The claim, disputed by the Department for Transport, is the latest row in which official promises about environmental standards have been challenged by campaigners against expansion at London’s premier airport.
Neil Spurrier, chair of Teddington Action Group, said: “Teddington was relatively unaffected by aircraft noise but now the area gets 17 hours per day of almost insufferable noise for about a third of the time, when the wind blows from the east.”
The group’s claim comes after it analysed data from two Civil Aviation Authority noise monitors based on top of Strawberry Hill House in Twickenham and the National Physical Laboratory at Teddington over a four-month period.
The group said the measurements show that for every month, the A380 was noisier than the 747s and accused the Government of suppressing noise averages by inconsistently recording jets on either one or both monitors. However, the Government said the action group’s claims were incorrect.
A DfT spokesman said: “There has been no double counting or attempt to falsify results on noise pollution at Heathrow. There are two noise monitors a mile apart and only some flights will be picked up by both as they detect flights over a certain volume for a minimum time.”
The DfT admitted the A380 is louder on arrival than predecessor planes, but is quieter overall.
