Glasgow Airport Airspace Change Proposal 20 01 26
Renfrewshire Council · 20 January 2026
Back to Planning and Climate Change Policy Board — 20 January 2026 and its agenda
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PUBLIC ___________________________________________________________________ To: Planning and Climate Change Policy Board On: 20 January 2026 ___________________________________________________________________ Report by: Chief Executive ___________________________________________________________________ Heading: Glasgow Airport Airspace Change Proposal ___________________________________________________________________ 1. Summary 1.1 Glasgow Airport is consulting on an Airspace Change Proposal (ACP) to modernise its arrival and departure routes and the surrounding airspace. The main impact on Renfrewshire’s communities of aircraft using Glasgow Airport is noise. Whilst the consultation material provided is useful for assessing the impact of the airspace change proposals on individual properties, it is less useful for assessing the overall impact on Renfrewshire’s communities. Notwithstanding this, from a review of the current and projected noise levels which will arise should the proposal be implemented, it appears likely that there will be a minor disbenefit to a small number of communities which are under the flightpath. ___________________________________________________________________ 2. Recommendations 2.1 It is recommended that the Board: ▪ Respond to the consultation requesting that the comments and concerns of Renfrewshire residents are given due weight when finalising Glasgow Airport’s Airspace Change Proposal and request that Renfrewshire Council officers are involved in discussions regarding these responses prior to the proposals being finalised. ___________________________________________________________________
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PUBLIC 3. Background 3.1 The UK’s airspace is being upgraded as part of the UK Government’s Airspace Modernisation Strategy. Eighteen UK airports are undertaking airspace changes to modernise their routes below 7,000ft, and National Air Traffic Services (NATS) is upgrading the route network that sits above 7,000ft. 3.2 The Airspace Change Organising Group have published ‘the Masterplan’ which is a coordinated implementation plan for airspace changes in the UK to deliver the objectives of the Airspace Modernisation Strategy, which aims to provide quicker, quieter, cleaner journeys across UK airspace. 3.3 As part of this wider process, Glasgow Airport is consulting on an Airspace Change Proposal (ACP) to modernise its arrival and departure routes and the surrounding airspace. This forms part of a wider Scottish Airspace Modernisation proposal, also involving Edinburgh Airport and NATS. 3.4 Glasgow Airport has run extensive consultation on these proposals with 15 drop-in events held in the area affected by the Glasgow Airport airspace, including 5 in Renfrewshire, and 6 public webinars. There is also a dedicated consultation website (https://glasgowairport.consultationonline.co.uk/) 4. Glasgow Airport Airspace Change Proposal 4.1 Glasgow Airport has one runway that can be operated in two directions. Aircraft take off into the wind, which means Glasgow Airport’s runway direction depends on the wind direction. Currently, across an average year, 74% of aircraft take off take off to the south west towards Johnstone, and 26% take off to the north east towards Clydebank. Most departing aircraft are initially required to climb straight ahead, on the same heading as the runway, for at least 5 nautical miles before turning (aircraft weighing 23,000kg or below are turned before 5 nautical miles). After 5 nautical miles, aircraft are vectored, meaning that air traffic control begin to advise on which routes aircraft take, creating dispersal across the airspace. 4.2 For arrivals, currently 26% of aircraft arrive from the south west over areas around Johnstone, and 74% arrive from the north east over areas around Clydebank. Below 7,000 feet, there are no defined routes for aircraft arriving at Glasgow Airport until on their final approach, when aircraft are lined up with the runway and undertaking final descent before landing. This means that aircraft are vectored by air traffic control to final approach which creates dispersion across airspace that decreases as aircraft line up with the runway on final approach. 4.3 The main impact of aircraft using Glasgow Airport on Renfrewshire’s communities is noise. This report therefore focuses on the noise impact of the airport change proposals, with information provided at https://gla-map.airspace- noise.arup.com/.
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PUBLIC 4.4 From a noise perspective, the most significant noise metric to consider is LAeq,16h (daytime) and LAeq,8h (night-time). The LAeq is a measure of the total sound energy in decibels (dB) spread over a period of time. It is calculated over a 92-day summer period (from 16 June to 15 September inclusive) where the airport is at its busiest. The LAeq is the most important metric for assessing aviation noise impacts, as research from the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has shown that the LAeq has the strongest correlation with noise and health effects. The noise contours on https://gla-map.airspace- noise.arup.com/ are shown above the lowest observed adverse effect level (LOAEL), 51dB LAeq,16h daytime and 45dB LAeq,8h night-time. This is the level above which adverse effects on health and quality of life can be detected. From a land use planning perspective noise above 57dB level is significant as within Renfrewshire new houses are not usually allowed to be built within this contour. 4.5 Changes to noise levels appear subtle at a Renfrewshire level but what can be seen on https://gla-map.airspace-noise.arup.com/ is that without the airspace change proposal, and just based on predicted operational changes at Glasgow Airport, by 2027 and again by 2036, there will be an increase in the areas affected by daytime noise exceeding 57dB. With reference to residential areas, Johnstone appears to be the area most affected by this. With the airspace change proposal, the areas predicted to be affected by daytime noise exceeding 57dB contract slightly. There are no concentrated areas of residential properties in which nighttime noise currently, or is proposed to, exceed 57dB, either with or without airspace change. 4.6 Another noise metric to consider is the number of noise threshold exceedances, which is the number of times aircraft noise exceeds 65dB daytime and 60dB nighttime. Based on operational changes at the airport alone, the areas affected by exceedances are expected to increase, with the increase slightly less with the airspace change proposal implemented. 4.7 A further metric to consider is the number of overflights. Without airspace change, just based on operational changes at the airport, the number of overflights affecting Renfrewshire is expected to increase by 2027 and 2036. With airspace change in both 2027 and 2036, the main difference observed is that more, but still a limited number of flights, will fly over Kilbarchan and Bridge of Weir. However, daytime noise levels are modelled to be less than 51dB in the areas affected because of the height the aircraft will be at this point. There would be less flights over parts of Linwood and Houston. 4.8 The consultation material provided is extensive, but also technical in nature, and whilst it offers the feature of being able to check the impact of the airspace change proposal at an individual property level, it is difficult to analyse at an area wide level. Notwithstanding this and from the website information, it appears likely there will be a minor disbenefit to small areas of communities which are under the flightpath including Kirklandneuk in Renfrew and around John Lang Street in north west Johnstone, whereby these locations will have a small increase in the number of houses within the margins of the 57.0-59.0 dB contour. Renfrewshire Council officers will continue to engage with Glasgow Airport staff involved in the airspace change proposal to fully understand the
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PUBLIC potential impacts on communities within Renfrewshire to attempt to influence the proposals to the overall betterment of Renfrewshire where possible. 4.9 It is therefore recommended that the Renfrewshire Council response to the consultation requests that the comments and concerns of Renfrewshire residents and organisations are given due weight when finalising the airspace change proposal and that an opportunity is given for Renfrewshire Council officers to discuss these responses with Glasgow Airport prior to the finalising of the proposals. Implications of the Report 1. Financial – None 2. HR & Organisational Development – None. 3. Community/Council Planning – None 4. Legal – None 5. Property/Assets – None. 6. Information Technology – None. 7. Equality & Human Rights – The report does not relate to a policy or proposal of Renfrewshire Council. 8. Health & Safety – None. 9. Procurement – None. 10. Risk – None 11. Privacy Impact – None. 12. Climate Risk – N/a 13. Children’s Rights – None. 14. Cosla Policy Position – None _______________________________________________________ List of Background Papers Glasgow Airport Airspace Change Proposal consultation website - https://glasgowairport.consultationonline.co.uk/ Glasgow Airport Airspace Change Proposal interactive noise map – https://gla-map.airspace-noise.arup.com/ ___________________________________________________________________ Author: Alan Williamson, Strategy & Place Manager, alan.williamson@renfrewshire.gov.uk, 07811 053968