Heathrow increases environmental charges by 7 per cent

GENTLY DOES IT: Concerns over noise levels form part of the opposition to Heathrow's third runway

In a bid to incentivise airlines to use cleaner and quieter aircraft, Heathrow Airport has increased its environmental charges by 7 per cent.

The new regime was put in place on January 1 in order to make the airport cleaner and quieter for local communities.

It forms part of the European hub’s sustainability strategy, Heathrow 2.0, which sets targets for sustainability in aviation. These include a goal to make growth from the proposed runway at Heathrow carbon neutral.

The strategy also proposes establishing an airside ultra-low emission zone by 2025, to improve quality of life of local communities through cleaner air.

Heathrow’s CEO John Holland-Kaye said: “Heathrow is determined to reduce the airport’s environmental impacts.

“Increasing our environmental charges to incentivise airlines to bring their cleanest, quietest aircraft to Heathrow is the best way to cut emissions and shrink the noise footprint around the airport. It is a tangible step that will make a real difference to local communities.”

The airport has said that with new public transport like Crossrail, HS2 and rail links to the west and south on the horizon – the way people travel to Heathrow is also set to be transformed, helping the airport to reach its goal of 50 per cent of passengers travelling by sustainable transport by 2030.

Heathrow has also recently made a significant investment in electric vehicles and charging points at the airport as well as unveiling a new scheme to encourage colleagues to purchase low-emission vehicles. All of these measures combined will help the airport tackle emissions at the airport.

Environmental concerns form part of the backlash to the proposed third runway. Critics have warned that the build and the increase in traffic that it would bring could potentially have a negative impact on air quality and noise levels in the local area.

In November, the annual noise contour report written by the Civil Aviation Authority and commissioned by Heathrow indicated that 52,000 fewer households were impacted by noise than in 2006.