Arriving Aircraft
The most significant noise generation during arrival is
generally upon final approach i.e. at less than 3,000
feet with noise increasing as it gets closer to the
airport and the ground. The final approach segment is
approximately 7 - 10 nautical miles. This is the stage
prior to landing, when an aircraft lines itself up with
the runway, and is therefore based on the orientation
of the runway. On final approach, aircraft arriving
from the east will typically fly over Stevenage and
Breachwood Green. Aircraft approaching from the
west will typically fly over north Studham, Kensworth,
Caddington and south Luton.
It is important to note that there are no defined
arrival corridors as arriving aircraft must carry out a
stable approach as to not jeopardise aircraft safety.
Subject to weather conditions, amongst others, an
area within a 40km radius of the airport may be
overflow.
Figure 1: Runway Usage at London Luton Airport
Instrument Landing System
Minimising Disturbance for our Neighbours
The aircraft will use its ILS (Instrument Landing
System) equipment to proceed to a safe and
sometimes automatic landing at the correct height
and heading. Most modern aircraft are now equipped
with an ILS system which, combined with Luton
Airport technology, allows aircraft to land in
conditions of low visibility.
At London Luton Airport we understand noise from
arrival noise is a particular concern for our local
communities. Therefore to minimise this noise,
aircraft are required to adopt a Continuous Descent
Approach (CDA) where possible. Fundamentally CDA
keeps an aircraft higher off the ground for longer,
uses less thrust and encourages a continuous steady
descent (Figure 2). This noise abatement technique
for arriving aircraft typically results in noise
reductions of 5dB at locations between 10-25 nautical
miles from touchdown. CDA compliance is monitored
and around 85% of aircraft achieve the requirement.
Wind Direction and Runway usage
For operational and safety reasons aircraft are
required to land into the wind. The runway at London
Luton Airport runs broadly east to west along in line
with the prevailing wind direction. When the wind
comes from the west, arriving aircraft will approach
the runway and land to the east, these operations are
referred to as westerlies. When the wind comes from
the east, arriving aircraft will approach the runway
from the west and this operation is known as
easterlies. Typically prevailing wind directions result in
an average split of 70% westerly operations and 30%
easterly operations.
Airframes
Noise of aircraft on arrival can sometimes be the
result of airflow over the airframe as opposed to
engine noise. The aircraft is creating resistance in the
air and creating a noise. This is similar to when a
person blows over the top of a bottle and a sound is
produced,
Figure 2: Continuous Descent Approach (CDA)