Moves to reduce noise disruption over Keston from flights arriving at and departing from Biggin Hill Airport are a step closer after the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) approved Instrument Flight Procedures (IFP) and the Simulator Validation Plan for the RNP 03 runway approach.
Biggin Hill Airport has been working to introduce the RNP 03 (also known as the R3 or R03) runway approach. This will see aircraft approach the airport from an alternative direction, resulting in fewer flights over places like Keston Village. The new approach could reduce flights over areas like Keston by between 30% and 40%. The attempt suffered a
setback at the start of 2024 when the CAA refused the previous application. Bromley Council, Peter Fortune MP and Gareth Bacon MP all wrote to the CAA recently to support the current trial plan.
The approval, which marks the first time the airport has secured IFP approval, means they are now able to move to the next stage of the process, which is simulation and flight validation. The process for final approval and implementation of the new approach is not complete and has several stages remaining. However, this is an important step forward which allows the airport to make progress.
While this is an important step forward, the implementation of RNP 03 is not yet guaranteed. Your Councillors are also working with Keston Village Residents' Association (KVRA) to explore the feasibility of extending the Noise Sensitive Area (NSA) to cover Keston Village. The NSA is a protected airspace which planes cannot fly over, other than in exceptional circumstances. Keston Village currently sits in a corridor between two other NSA areas. Councillors Josh Coldspring-White and Alexa Michael both attended the Executive, Resources and Contracts Committee at Bromley Council last November to argue that the NSA should be extended to include Keston.
All three Hayes and Coney Hall Councillors, whose Ward includes Keston Village, wrote to the Biggin Hill Airport Consultative Committee Chairman to ask that Keston be represented on the committee. Councillors Coldspring-White and Michael have also been meeting concerned residents to hear about the impact of the disruption. They joined residents at a meeting at the airport to discuss how this can be addressed.
Councillor Michael, who has represented Keston on Bromley Council since 1994, said:
“This is a most important and positive step towards reducing disruption from the airport but it is not the end. Residents can rest assured that we will not declaring the job done yet. We will continue to work with both Biggin Hill Airport and residents' groups like Airport Watch, the Consultative Committee and KVRA to hold the airport to account for excessive disruption. This a much better start to the year than in 2024 when it looked like the new approach would not be approved. Well done to everyone involved in clearing this important milestone.”
