Night Flight Hysteria Begins.

Finally Infratil have submitted The Application. I refer to it as The Application as it has been so long in arriving that it became an event to anticipate.
It has also inevitably started the hysterical reaction that was to be expected, wild and totally unfounded figures have been bandied about already and predictions of the end of the world abound.
The contents of The Application are in line with the Airports Master Plan and the predictions in it.
I should perhaps point out that it is only a plan and contains only predictions not facts.
Accompanying The Application is a report from Bickerdyke Allen outlining what they see as the impact of night flights insofar as noise in concerned.
MORI on behalf of Thanet Council will commence a comprehensive consultation as soon as TDC have got their own independent technical assessment of that report.
This I hope will happen sooner rather than later as this issue has been hanging around for far to long.
You can see The Application HERE.
The results of the consultation will help TDC decide what, if any, night flying is to be allowed from Manston.
I am pleased to see that already some balanced debate seems to be taking place on Herne Bay Matters blog.

For the record my own view is that while most people want to see a successful and developing Airport, that is not at any price and it should be subject to stringent controls.
The consultation will help in deciding what, if any, price is worth paying.