As the government plans to review its policy on night flights, AEF, the Aviation Communities Forum, and community groups from across the country, have written to the aviation minister Robert Courts calling for an end to night flights. 

A growing body of evidence shows a link between night noise from aviation and adverse effects on sleep and health. The World Health Organisation recommends 7 – 9 hours of sleep a night for adults, yet for many, night flights make this impossible to achieve. As the sector recovers from the pandemic, it is essential that the UK puts public health ahead of industry demands.

In the letter, the groups call for a total ban on night flights at UK airports except in cases of emergency or for humanitarian purposes. They ask for ‘night’ to be defined as an eight-hour period to allow people to have a full night’s sleep in accordance with health guidelines, and highlight that cargo night flights are rarely time-critical.

To read the letter in full, click here.