Campaigners against Heathrow expansion today said tests on using runways more intensively had been “a lot of pain for very little gain”.
It follows an official verdict that experiments carried out into methods of speeding up take-offs and landings had been “inconclusive”.
John Stewart, of the anti-third runway group Hacan, said: “It appears that these trials brought little benefit to the airport. But they did deprive residents of their much-valued half-day’s break from the noise. To bring them back would be a lot of pain for very little gain.”
Heathrow is seeking operational freedoms — where rules are relaxed for a temporary period to clear a backlog — to make itself more resilient to disruptions such as heavy snowfalls.
Trials were held into a series of possible measures including landing planes on both runways to reduce the number of aircraft stacked in the skies after a hold-up. However, the tests failed to show clear-cut benefits, leading the Civil Aviation Authority to conclude: “It is extremely difficult to reach any strong conclusions on the benefit or otherwise of the trial.”
The report said there had been a surge in complaints during the tests — but a similar increase on other days, too, which suggested that publicity about the trials could have triggered complaints.
Aviation minister Robert Goodwill has asked the Davies Commission into airport capacity to make a recommendation on the operational freedoms.
Matt Gorman, the airports’s director of sustainability, said: “The trials have shown that implementing these new procedures could help create a more punctual and efficient Heathrow.”
