
London City Airport has delayed plans to review its flight paths.
Information from the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has revealed the process will not commence as expected in June and has been rescheduled until the autumn.
The airport has been asked to reappraise its flight paths as part of a review of routes at airports in London and the South East. London City concentrated arrival and departure routes in 2016 which resulted in a five-fold increase in complaints from local residents.
The anti-noise campaign group HACAN East believe the delay is to avoid a clash with consultation on the master plan for the airport which may include options for expansion. It is expected London City will consider applying for the current cap of 111,000 flights allowed to use the airport each year to be lifted.
Airports in the UK are reviewing flight paths as air traffic controllers transfer from using a ground-based to a satellite system to guide planes in and out of airports. The new system will allow for more precise flight paths which will reduce fuel costs for airlines and improve the resilience of airports.