Audacious move, indeed
Alright, buddy! Let's talk about that pesky airport noise situation lately.
As the first Easter weekend holiday came around, flight traffic increased at Düsseldorf Airport, causing delays, too.
According to those who dislike noisy aircraft, the airport's website shows some interesting numbers – two takeoffs after 10 PM and 25 landings after 11 PM. That includes six after 11:30 PM and one after midnight, from March 31 to April 2.
In contrast, the last similar weekend before the pandemic in 2019 had only 13 landings after 11 PM.
Georg Regniet, a dude who keeps an eye on flight movements for Citizens Against Aircraft Noise, pointed this out: "Even with around 50% less traffic than in 2019, the number of delays is now higher."
One specific flight stands out: A Condor aircraft (registration D-ABOI) was scheduled to land from Fuerteventura at 8:55 PM and did just that, on time. But it was supposed to depart for Dubai at 9 PM according to the flight plan.
Regniet says, "It's obvious that this wouldn't work." He refers to the airport's website and flightradar24.com, which show that the aircraft didn't leave its parking spot until 9:54 PM and finally took off at 10:05 PM.
It's yet to be known if air traffic control gave an exception to the night flight regulations (see box) for this case, or for the landing on Saturday at 12:14 AM.
Christoph Lange, the head honcho of Citizens Against Aircraft Noise, chimes in: "If traffic at the airport is still far below 'normal' levels and delays are already increasing rapidly, what will it be like when we reach the 'pre-Corona' level, let alone if capacity is expanded? The residents can't rely on the airport's promises. Why are the night flight regulations stricter at the much larger and more important Frankfurt Airport? Why do residents there have it better than here?"
At this time, there's no direct comparison available regarding late-night flight activity at Düsseldorf Airport post-pandemic versus 2019. General trends in the airline industry suggest that busy airports may experience increased late-night activity as airlines attempt to maximize aircraft utilization.
As for Frankfurt Airport, it upholds strict nighttime curfews and noise regulations, which could, in theory, cause some flights to be diverted to airports with more flexible curfew rules like Düsseldorf. However, there's no clear evidence of this happening at present.
The increased flight traffic during the first Easter weekend holiday led to a higher number of delays at Düsseldorf Airport, even with around half the usual traffic compared to 2019. This situation raises concerns about the potential impact on the lifestyle and sleep patterns of residents, especially with the airport's increased late-night activity, as shown by the two takeoffs after 10 PM and 25 landings after 11 PM observed during the holiday weekend. Living near this busy airport might force residents to question the future of their sports and travel plans, given the continued delays and night flights.
