Your plane journey could soon be that little bit quicker.
The UK aviation industry is set for its biggest shake-up in decades after the government announced a redesign of flight paths – a first such change since they were formed in the 1950s.
It promises holidaymakers quicker flights and fewer delays as part of the new law introduced today.
The airspace modernisation is designed to boost flight capacity, open new and more direct routes and reduce delays and emissions, the government said.
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It will also allow the creation of new paths for emerging services like flying taxis, and prepare Heathrow for its third runway. A flying taxi service completed its first successful test run in the Cotswolds last week, reaching 150mph.
Here is a breakdown of what it means for passengers in practice, and when the changes will kick in.
How will flight paths change?
It might look like planes approach airports from all directions, but each UK airport has designated flight paths.
Heathrow, the UK’s busiest airport, which currently has two runways but is pushing for an expansion, has six westerly and easterly departure paths, also known as noise preferential routes (NPRs).
Aircraft has to stay within 1.8 miles of the NPR until it reaches 4,000ft. After this, the air traffic control can guide planes off the departure path to a more direct route to their destination, known as vectoring.
The redesign of skyways means planes could climb quicker during take-off, land more smoothly and navigate better around neighbourhoods, the government said.
Ministers said the change would reduce the number of planes queuing to land above airports and cities like London.
When will the airspace redesign happen?
The flight path change is being fast-tracked.
The new UK Airspace Design Service (UKADS), run by NATS, is expected to be up and running by the end of 2025.
Heathrow’s flight paths and the London airspace will be the first focus of the new design service ahead of the planned third runway expansion.
UK flights in numbers
When the UK airspace opened in the 1950s, flying was a rare novelty, with around 200,000 flights each year.
This has grown to 2.7 million flights last year.
Heathrow sees around 475,000 planes annually. It recorded 83.9 million passengers last year.
Reaction to the flight plan
How each flight path will change has not been revealed yet.
But campaigners are concerned about the impact on residents near airports and house prices.
Paul Beckford, from Heathrow group Hacan, told Metro: ‘Airspace modernisation enables more aircraft to fly closer together which means communities across London will be exposed to more noise more frequently.
‘It is vital that the Government take this once in a generation opportunity to properly measure and understand the health impacts of such concentrated flight paths.
‘Whilst we recognise the potential for some communities to experience a reduction in noise we remain concerned that the delivery of such reductions will only be possible over a 10-20 year time scale.
‘Indeed, given the complexity, range of competing policy priorities and conflicts between airports for UKADS to consider, that it is unlikely we will see any new flight paths until after the next general election at the earliest.’
Cagne, the umbrella group representing residents affected by Gatwick Airport in Sussex, Surrey and Kent, labelled the move as ‘more concentration of motorways in the sky above homes.’
Cagne warned that houses could be devalued in areas previously unaffected by flight route activity.
It said: ‘Direct routes could equal new flight paths over new houses not currently affected by aircraft noise with no compensation plus more concentration of motorways in the sky above homes.’
The campaigners said residents must ‘live in fear of what is being planned for above their heads and homes.’
Mike Kane, the aviation minister, said: ‘Redesigned ‘skyways’ will turbocharge growth in the aviation industry, not least by boosting airport expansion plans and supporting job creation, driving millions into the UK economy as part of the Plan for Change.
‘Modernising our airspace is also one of the simplest ways to help reduce pollution from flying and will set the industry up for a long-term, sustainable future.’
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