Noise management at Glasgow Airport

We have recently invested in new aircraft visualisation and modelling software that allows anybody to view near-real-time 3D visualisations of aircraft flying into and out of Glasgow Airport. We hope that this software will provide accessible and easy to understand information on aircraft operations and noise at Glasgow Airport.

We operate a dedicated noise complaints site through which we log all complaints, and seek to respond to 100% of complaints and enquiries within five working days. We publish our performance against this target at the Airport Consultative Committee and in our Annual Monitoring Reports.

We are in the process of upgrading our complaints and enquiries process with a new system that will enable improved analysis of trends. 

The Sustainable Aviation Roadmap outlines how the UK aviation industry will limit and, where possible, reduce the impact of aircraft noise. Over the past 50 years, aircraft have reduced their noise output by 75% and this progress continues.

Whilst we have no direct control over the aircraft fleet that airlines who fly to and from Glasgow Airport choose to operate, we can influence the adoption of quieter aircraft technology through wider industry groups such as Sustainable Aviation. We also operate a differential landing charge system during the night whereby quieter aircraft receive discounted charges, providing a financial incentive for airlines to adopt quieter aircraft.

Aircraft need to routinely test their engines to ensure they are operating correctly and safely. The times, location and duration of engine test runs are restricted to minimise noise disturbance. 

Engine test runs are not permitted between the hours of 23:00 and 05:00 on any night, except in exceptional circumstances.

We have replaced some ground power units with fixed electrical ground power (FEGP) at the terminal stands to allow aircraft to take electricity directly from the local grid, and will continue to roll this out, helping to further reduce noise by limiting the amount of time that aircraft will need to run their engines at stands.

The UK Government confirmed, via the 2017 Air Navigation Guidance, that up to 4000ft the UK Government’s environmental priority is to minimise the noise impact of aircraft and the number of people on the ground affected by it. Nonetheless, Glasgow Airport is dedicated to reducing carbon impacts as well as noise impacts, noting that there is a careful balance to be struck.

Achieving net zero, supporting our communities and supporting our people are the central pillars of our sustainability strategy. A key component of our future plans will be the ongoing delivery of our net zero roadmap which was updated during 2023. This identifies the decarbonisation measures we will implement over the coming decade to address our direct emissions while at the same time supporting our partners with their transition to a more sustainable future. This transition will see us invest in new technology and harness innovation, whether that is making sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) available at our airports, generating our own clean energy on-site or trialling artificial intelligence to enhance the customer experience. These are just some of the projects already underway at AGS.

To evaluate the effectiveness and delivery of the Noise Action Plan, we have established performance indicators, timescales and targets. In addition, we monitor our progress each year through comprehensive Annual Noise Report which is available on our website and contains:

• statistics on the number, type and time of day of aircraft movements;
• adherence to Continuous Descent Approach (CDA) and Continuous Climb Departure (CCD) targets;
• number and timing of engine test runs;
• statistics on noise complaints;
• information on community engagement; and
• progress against actions in this Noise Action Plan.

As part of this Noise Action Plan we are undertaking a review of the contents of our Annual Noise Reports, in consultation with local stakeholders, to ensure that the report provides clear and useful information that is valuable to our local communities.

For more information about how we manage noise throughout the year, visit our dedicated webpage here.