Airlines will be incentivised to use their quietest planes for Heathrow-bound flights when the airport introduces lower landing charges for ultra-quiet aircraft like Ethiopian Airlines’ A350 in 2017.

This would make Heathrow the first airport in the world to differentiate charges for noisier aircraft, and the move is already having an effect with a 5.5 per cent rise in quieter new generation aircraft being used at the airport, compared to this time last year.

Heathrow is quieter today than it has been at any point since the 1970s, despite twice as many aircraft movements.

In a further bid to limit noise levels, 50 new noise monitors will be installed in local areas to help the airport better understand the impact of noise for surrounding residents.

Heathrow chief executive John Holland-Kaye believes that the monitors will help accelerate the airport’s noise impact reduction.

He commented: “Heathrow shares a common objective with local residents: we want to make the skies around us quieter.”