Airport Flies into Protest With Residents Over New Route Plans

And while airport bosses have welcomed new low cost flights to Glasgow, Liverpool and the East Midlands, people living directly under the airport’s flight path have voiced mixed views.

Inverbrook woman Minnie Simpson has lived under the airport’s flight path for 22 years and still holds safety concerns.

She said: "I don’t like planes flying over the house. They tell you that they go out at certain times, but that’s not totally true. There are some late flights. They also fly very low over our homes. Nobody has ever asked me what I think about all these extra flights. I am worried about planes flying over my home and the noise they make. I have double glazing, but it isn’t much good."

Connsbrook resident Hetty Duffield is concerned about noise pollution.

She said: "It can be very noisy first thing in the morning and at night.

It’s hard to put children down to sleep and keep them down when planes are flying low over the house. A few of my neighbours think the same thing.

" I don’t really worry about the safety thing, it’s the noise that annoys me. Even if they didn’t take off so early and land so late it wouldn’t be that bad. I live in a modern house, but I can still hear them going over."

East Belfast man Barry Agnew says he has grown used to the sound of passing planes.

"It doesn’t really annoy me. If it is going to create more jobs then I am all for it," he said. "I have lived close to the airport for about 10 years and when we first moved in I noticed the noise, but that’s not the case now at all.

"I know everyone doesn’t think the way I do and there are people who do complain.

But to me the creation of jobs is important and I can live with the noise."

Inverary Avenue man Lewis Lee says a balance needs to be reached.

He said: "This argument has been ongoing for years. I don’t think the planes are a major problem. I have grown used to the sound over the years. I know there are complaints from people with small children and babies.

"Personally, I am quite content with the way the airport has tried to deal with it. And the airport employs a lot of people, that has to be kept in mind as well."

Current Planning Service restrictions mean that no scheduled flights can land at the air port after 9.30pm or take off before 6am.

The exception to the rule is when an incoming flight is delayed. When this happens the late flight must touch down before 11.59pm.

In the past year just two flights have broken the stiff time restrictions.

Both flights involved medical emergencies and no action was taken against the aircraft companies involved.

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