Overnight aircraft servicing allowed at Farnborough Airport
Nov 6, 2013 18:08:42 GMT 1
Post by Admin (Annette Andria) on Nov 6, 2013 18:08:42 GMT 1
Maintenance work could be carried out 24 hours a day at TAG Farnborough Airport after Rushmoor councillors approved proposals to lift a condition that restricted when aircraft could be serviced.
The airport will now be able to offer selected maintenance and servicing work, which was previously restricted to its flying hours of 7am to 10pm on weekdays and 8am to 8pm on weekends and bank holidays.
This new consent enables the airport-based engineering companies to offer overnight servicing to aircraft, which arrive in the evening and plan to depart the next morning.
Councillors said that the ability to carry out essential work on aircraft at unrestricted times would be economically beneficial to the town.
Councillor John Marsh said: “This is great news for Farnborough. I give this proposal my full support because it will bring more work into the area. These works are essential for the airport to offer a full service.”
Councillor Rod Cooper said: “I absolutely agree that maintenance needs to be carried out overnight, so this is fantastic news for the area. As long as noise does not travel behind the airfield, which it should not do, this can only be beneficial for Farnborough.”
The work is carried out in older hangar sheds and engineering operations are in a new purpose-built hangar located on the south side of the runway. Engine running and testing of aircraft continues to be restricted to the designated flying hours.
in the local Rag www.gethampshire.co.uk/news/local-news/overnight-aircraft-servicing-allowed-farnborough-5406416
Planning officers and airport officials said they were confident that “no significant additional noise” should travel past the parameters of the airfield and so residents would not be adversely affected. The current noise prevention barriers were considered sufficient to prevent noise transmission from equipment to the nearest residential properties in Kempton Court, O’Gorman Avenue and Queen’s Gate.
A TAG Farnborough Airport spokesman said: “Work is now authorised to take place outside operational hours in the airport’s existing maintenance facilities and on its apron, providing it does not transmit noise to surrounding property.
“Therefore, no work outside of the airport’s maintenance buildings is permitted to involve the running of aircraft engines or the use of air tools and is limited to internal diagnostics and servicing.”
He added that no change had been proposed with regards to aircraft movements.
Geoff Marks, chairman of the Farnborough Airport Residents’ Association and member of the Farnborough Airport Consultative Committee, said that neither organisations had raised any objection to the plans: “The proposals were raised at our consultative committee meeting and it was agreed that it does not make sense for the airport to be restricted when there will not be an increase in noise for local residents. This is essential work that needs to be carried out to make sure aircraft can operate safely."
Councillors unanimously voted in favour of the changes at a meeting last Wednesday.
