Double glazing and air con grants offer for residents near Leeds Bradford Airport

Grants towards double glazing and air conditioning in bedrooms could be given to residents as part of plans which campaigners claim will “dramatically increase” the number of night flights to and from Leeds Bradford Airport.

The Yeadon-based airport is making the latest in a series of attempts to change operating conditions which it says places it at a “competitive disadvantage” to other regional airports.

Leeds Bradford Airport (LBA) wants the number of night-time flights to be dictated based on a noise-linked quota count, rather than a cap on the number of flights, currently around 5,000.

Its chief executive Vincent Hodder said they were building an “airport for the future” and insisted it was not about “’thousands more night flights’ (that) some would claim”.

The changes would amend night-time restrictions so unlimited numbers of planes can take off from 6am, rather than 7am.

A statement from LBA said the proposals would encourage airlines to operate newer generation aircraft with improved fuel efficiency and lower noise impacts.

It also said the scheme “would offer grants towards insulation measures, including glazing, ventilation improvements and, for the first time at a UK airport, funding for bedroom air conditioning in eligible properties.”

LBA said it believes “the combination of maintaining a fixed overall noise limit while introducing targeted community support represents a balanced approach that benefits both local residents and the wider regional economy”.

Mr Hodder said: "This is about creating a stronger, more sustainable and better-connected Yorkshire for the decades ahead, this is not the ‘thousands more night flights’ some would claim.

"The Quota Count System LBA is applying for is set to match the existing noise footprint. The same noise limits, allocated differently.”

However the Group for Action on Leeds Bradford Airport (GALBA) said the offer of air con and glazing was a “bribe and an admission that under this proposal it dramatically increases the noise disturbance of people living under the flight path”.

Ian Coatman, from GALBA said there had been an “utterly relentless” campaign since 2019 to increase the number of night flights.

He said night-time aircraft noise and the resulting sleep disruption had been scientifically shown to negatively impact physical and mental health.

He said: "This is not about people sitting in a garden having to stop a conversation (when a plane flies over). This is a serious health problem because disturbance leads directly to heart attacks, strokes and other cardiovascular issues. This is why there are limits.”

LBA is co-owned by Spanish airport operator Aena, which holds a majority 51% stake, and infrastructure investment firm InfraBridge, which retains the remaining 49% stake through a joint holding company.