No Nightie Flights!

This is the film of the demonstration outside Thanet Council on May 17th by the campaigners against night flights at Manston airport. They argue that night flights disturb their sleep. Hence the bed and the night attire!

A Thanet Watch report. The campaigners against night flying at Manston airport demonstrate outside Thanet District Council - in their nighties! They want to show how night flights disturb the sleep of everyone under the flight path into the airport.

Courtesy of the excellent people of Thanet Watch.

One hundred campaigners against night flights at Manston airport turned out to present the council with a petition of 2,800 names – wearing just their nighties. The No To Nightie Flighties protest took place on Thursday at Thanet council's Cecil Square offices in Margate.

The petition were handed to Labour councillors by former Dr Who actress Janet Fielding. The names, gathered by the No Night Flights group, were submitted ahead of this week's Thanet council vote on whether to support plans for up to eight flights between 11pm and 7am at Manston airport.

Ms Fielding said:

"We're here to offer our support to the council for next week's crucial meeting to vote against allowing night flights at Manston. Along with the health and environmental issues surrounding night flights, there are potentially disastrous consequences for Ramsgate's recovering tourism industry which needs to be protected. Who will want to stay in a hotel with planes flying over all night? This needs to be investigated in full."

The petition and the submission for the night flights, made by the owners of Manston airport, will be discussed at an extraordinary council meeting on Manston Airport Night Time Flying Policy on Thursday. Thanet council's Labour cabinet has already voted not to support night flights, which airport owners Infratil claim are vital for the future of the airport.

thisiskent 22nd May 2012