The government has opened a consultation on potential alterations to air navigation guidance, which is aimed at the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and organisations that propose airspace changes in the future.

Transport minister Simon Burns launched the consultation yesterday (June 25th) and it will run until September 17th.

At the moment, the CAA is working with guidance that was issued in 2002 and so the authorities felt it was time to for a revision that takes major developments like the introduction of a single European sky into account.

Mr Burns said the update has two purposes - to provide the CAA with greater clarity on the government's environmental objectives and to reaffirm the need to consult local communities who might be affected by airport alterations.

"The responses received to this consultation will be used to help refine the guidance, which is expected to be presented to the CAA by the end of this year," the MP commented.

This announcement came at an opportune time, as a number of major airport redevelopments are currently being discussed in the UK.