Woken in the small hours, 25th October

Hi There,

Just to let you know that we were woken at exactly 03:00 Wednesday 26 October with a very noisy night flight over Beltinge, Herne Bay.  As my husband has to get up at 04:40 for a train to London he was not best pleased.

Best regards,

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Hi,

I complained via Manston's website and received an almost instant reply... "we are sorry you have had cause to complain etc."

The plane was a Cargolux B744 QC2. Hope this helps.

Kind Regards,

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Hi there, I emailed you the other day about a night flight and then last night I was woken up by a plane at 3am. I'm sure I can't have been the only person...

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Woken in the small hours, 5th October

Yup, another night of misery for Ramsgate, as you'll see from the comments below. Here's a number of things for you all to think about:

• There will be a public meeting of KIACC (the Consultative Committee for the airport) on Tuesday 11th October. This is usually held in the passenger lounge at Manston. Time to be confirmed. [Correction: the KIACC meeting is Friday 21st October, time TBA. I was cruelly misled!]
• PLEASE could you check through the piss-poor replies you've had to earlier complaints for late Tuesday nights/early Wednesday mornings - I think we may have an unofficial timetable operating. Use the comments on this post to enter the date, time, and operator/aircraft details.
• A new contact within TDC for you is Madeline Homer, on madeline.homer@thanet.gov.uk - Ms Homer has taken on Brian White's role in Regeneration, and reported to the recent Airport Working Party that:
  • the S106 is voluntary (wrong)
  • the current monitoring gives no cause for concern (judge for yourselves)

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(1) low flying flight at ten past midnight tonight coming over augusta road, ramsgate

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(2) Large plane just landed at Manston at 12.05 a.m. Think blue and yellow livery, including 4 letters beginning A .T. ?. ?. Woke us up!

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(3) I've sent 2 complaints to the airport and KIACC this week re the planes coming in at midnight at 2:50 am. Admittedly the latter two were this evening but aside from the standard automatic responses I've not heard anything from Manston. Is there a contact at Thanet council we can also direct complaints to? Very awake now at this ungodly hour!

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(4) Yet again I find my family being woken during the night. Twice!

In your capacity as the airport spokesman can I ask how it is that flights are operating at these times despite there supposed to be an agreement in place that flights do not operate at night.

Obviously by now I understand that when TDC refers to a fines regime it actually means that the operator does what it wants and TDC says "fine", however, please indulge me and arrange for the usual standard letter setting out that there is no penalty for the operator and the excuses why. Perhaps, as in the case of my complaint re the 3:50am flight, this letter could again come from the environmental protection manager just to cap the ridiculousness of the situation.

I have copied in my councillor so that they are aware of my complaint.

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Woken in the small hours, 10th July

Thanet District Council's Penny Button Penny.Button@thanet.gov.uk has special responsibility for Manston Airport. Here's what she had to say to one of the many unhappy residents who contacted her:

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Thank you for your recent enquiry regarding an aircraft movement associated with Kent International Airport. The statutory powers available to Thanet District Council to deal with noise exclude aircraft noise, however, we do have a voluntary Town & Country Planning Act S106 agreement with the airport operator which contains some sanctions with regard to aircraft movements.

This agreement allows for departures to European destinations or arrivals from North America by solely passenger carrying aircraft scheduled to occur between 0600 and 0700 hours on any day where the aircraft involved in the operation have a noise classification of Quota Count 4 or less. A Quota Count is the degree of noise created by the aircraft both at take off and landing and is based on the certified noise levels of the aircraft.

The agreement also allows for humanitarian mercy or emergency flights by relief organisations during the night on not more than 12 occasions during any calendar year.

The agreement contains a scheme of fines for aircraft movements at night. The airport owner is required to pay a fine if an aircraft with a Quota Count in excess of QC4 undertakes a flight movement during the night. If the same plane undertakes another night-time movement in the following 12 months the amount payable will increase by a factor of two for each occasion.

I have investigated the incident you referred to and can confirm that the plane which arrived at 03:33 on 10 July 2011 was a delayed arrival of an Iceland Air plane. This plane movement is not subject to a fine under the agreement as it has a QC classification of QC4 or less.

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Woken in the small hours, 1st July

Hi,

I live in Ramsgate and was woken up at 3.50am this morning (1st July 2011) by a plane coming in to land at Manston.  I couldn't get back to sleep.  I feel terrible now and I know I'll feel terrible for the rest of the day.  It makes Ramsgate a bad place to live and I find that really upsetting.

N.L.

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Hello,

Not sure if this will go to the correct people, if not you can pass it on please.

Today, Friday 1 July at 03.51 this morning an aircraft landed at Manston Airport, with a lot of noise, again at about 05.00 another movement, sounded like a smaller plane but still quite noisy.

Considering there are supposed to be no night flights, these movements are not just late arrivals.

The complaints dept. phone has been unavailable all morning and still is.

I contacted 01843 823949 and spoke to a young lady who said my complaint would be passed on and a letter would be sent to me later. Will let you know the contents soon after receipt.

Yours sincerely,

DC (Cliffsend )

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Woken this morning at 03:55 by plane coming in to land over Ramsgate.  Will be drafting letter to Lazy Laura this weekend, demanding action be taken.

BP (Ramsgate)

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COMPLAIN!

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