East Hertfordshire and West Essex
This page provides an introduction to the changes proposed for the East Hertfordshire and West Essex area.
Airspace does not conform to geographic boundaries so if you are close to the edge of one of the areas we have defined you may also want to look at the information on the neighbouring area.
Airspace over most of southern and eastern England is already used by aircraft heading to or from airports across the region and beyond.
Aircraft from the London area heading to the east and north east fly over East Hertfordshire and West Essex. This includes all aircraft arriving or departing Stansted Airport.
The following routes passing over this area would remain the same as today and be unaffected by this proposal:
- Gatwick departures
- Stansted departures to the south and east
- Overflights to and from other UK airports, the Americas, Europe and the east.
- Arrivals and departures to smaller airfields in the London area
Routes that would change under this proposal are:
- Stansted arrivals and departures to the north and south west
- London City departures
- Luton departures and arrivals
- Northolt departures
- Heathrow departures to the north east
- Cambridge arrivals
Precision Area Navigation (P-RNAV)
All of these routes will be changed to comply with the safety standards of P-RNAV, a new navigation technology that is being introduced in accordance with Civil Aviation Authority direction. P-RNAV technology can provide safety, efficiency and environmental benefits.
Aircraft can follow a P-RNAV designed route more accurately than a conventionally designed route. This means departing aircraft which are below 4,000ft may be more concentrated along the centre of a route.
There are currently two holds for Stansted arrivals - one near Royston and the other close to Sudbury.
Our proposal is to remove these holds and relocate them within the neighbouring Cambridgeshire, Suffolk and North East Essex area.
New P-RNAV routes from the holds to the airport would be established, potentially increasing the concentration of aircraft around the centre of these new routes although from time to time it would still be necessary to position aircraft off these routes to maintain safety and prevent delays.
All Stansted arrivals plan a route via a hold before landing although if there is no queue they may take a more direct flight path to the runway.
A variety of direct flight paths is more efficient, burns less fuel and creates fewer emissions, but means more people across a wider area may see and hear aircraft.
A single route from the hold to the runway, used all the time, means fewer people overall would see and hear aircraft but they would see and hear them more consistently.
As a result of these changes, continuous descent approaches - which reduce noise and improve fuel efficiency by keeping aircraft higher for longer - can be introduced.
Luton and Northolt departures to the east and south east would also change and will be designed as P-RNAV routes.
Heathrow departures to the north east would be changed to keep these routes separated from others and allow the introduction of P-RNAV.
London City departures to the north, which currently cross the area near Hatfield and Hertford, would be re-routed away from this area.
Noise Preferential Routes (NPRs)
NATS proposes changing all Stansted departures to the north and west and thus change the associated NPRs. The routes would be moved to reduce the populations overflown below a height of 4,000ft.
For full details of the East Hertfordshire and West Essex area please refer to the consultation document.