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On Thursday 19th March, Sir Paul Beresford, Crispin Blunt and Sam Gyimah, the Members of Parliament representing the people being overflown by the new departure Route 26 out of Gatwick, met Mark Swan, the Director for Safety and Airspace regulation for the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to discuss the CAA’s review of the implementation of PR-NAV (Precision Area Navigation) from Gatwick since November 2013 and the consequences of its full implementation from May 2014.

The CAA gave an update on the process, which was unprecedented in including a call for submissions from the public, which ended on 5th January 2015. They received 15,500 public representations which are now being analysed. The CAA’s preliminary analysis was that there were “discrepancies beyond what was anticipated” on the two key routes which have led to a concentration of aircraft tracks, both westerly and easterly over south Reigate and Redhill and on westerly take-off over Holmwood. These tracks are outside the original Noise Preferential Routes (NPR) and have led to intense anger from constituents who now find themselves suffering constant aircraft noise pollution.

The CAA, as the regulator, have the authority to

require Gatwick to alter these flight paths following their review. Mark Swan was able to assure the MPs, that on the basis of their work so far, “We will not allow the status quo to be sustained”.