Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what criteria control the number of night flights arriving at and departing from airports, and, with reference to the Civil Aviation Authority's recent assessment of Edinburgh Airport's proposed new flight path, whether that Airport has reached capacity for night flights.

Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted airports are designated for the purpose of noise regulation under the Civil Aviation Act 1982. The Government sets night flight restrictions at these airports through a noise quota and a movement limit.

For all other UK airports, operating restrictions such as on night flights are agreed at the local level, usually through the planning process.

With regard to the assessment of Edinburgh Airport’s proposed new flight paths by the Civil Aviation Authority, this assessment related to airspace changes and not the capacity of the airport at night.