Following concerns expressed by a number of residents, the local Member of Parliament Mary Macleod has confirmed the Coalition Government’s policy on runway alternation at Heathrow with the Rt. Hon Theresa Villiers MP, Minister of State for Transport.

Mary said, “Runway alternation is critical to the quality of life of my local residents as the constituency lies directly under Heathrow’s eastern flight path, and people are therefore greatly affected by aircraft noise. Mixed mode would be a disaster for those who live locally as they would never get any respite from aircraft noise.”

In response to Mary, Theresa Villiers confirmed, “The Government remains firmly opposed to the mixed mode regime proposed by our predecessors in their consultation document ‘Adding Capacity at Heathrow Airport’”.

“We campaigned against the mixed mode proposal in Opposition and we will deliver on our promise and will not be reviving it in Government.  We will continue to support the protections afforded by runway alternation. I am fully aware of how important this is to constituents.” Ms Villiers also took the opportunity to pay tribute to Mary’s campaigning work in relation to aircraft noise and her steadfast defence of the interest of her constituents.

Mary Macleod MP said, “I am delighted to be able to reassure my constituents with this excellent news. Runway alternation provides an essential half-day break from aircraft noise for the residents in the Hounslow Borough. It is important that we make sure that mixed mode is never implemented.”

Runway alternation involves landing planes touching down on one runway for half the day, and the other runway for the other half.  This allows residents living under the flight path to have half a day when they are unaffected by aircraft noise.  Further, planes take off and land on separate runways.  If runway alternation was abolished, each runway would support both take off and landing at any one time – known as mixed-mode operation.  This would mean that residents under the flight path would not have a “clear” half day, free of flights.