Where are Luton aircraft allowed to fly?

The Noise Preferential Routes (NPRs) for departures and the arrival routes are shown in the Airport’s Annual Monitoring Report. Once aircraft have reached 3,000 feet above mean sea level (AMSL) during daytime or 4,000 feet at night, they can be directed off these routes by air traffic control. However, the routes are not enforced above these “vectoring” heights so they may be flown off route.

As the Airport and much of the surrounding land is at about 500 feet above sea level, aircraft may fly off route only 2,500 feet above ground (3,500 feet at night).

NATS proposals to change routes

On 21 February 2008, National Air Traffic Services, which runs the UK air traffic control service, launched a consultation on proposals which, among others, would change the routes and holds for Luton Airport. The consultation closed on 19 June so our pages on this have been archived for reference. Please note that external links from those pages may cease to work at some time in the future please let us know if this happens.

You can download LADACAN’s response to the consultation from this web site.

NATS published a report on the consultation in July 2008. Then in October 2009 it announced that the downturn in air traffic had reduced the rate of increase in demand for airspace capacity so revised proposals would not be published for consultation before September 2010 at the earliest.

Luton & District Association for the Control of Aircraft Noise - site updated 03 February, 2010