Ascot residents meet over Heathrow flight path trials

Heathrow Airport bosses are to meet with residents in Ascot, Berkshire, over the ongoing trial of new potential flight paths.

The airport and the National Air Traffic Services (Nats) began the five-month trial in August.

Residents say they were not consulted and about 6,000 people have signed a petition calling for the trial to be immediately scrapped.

Heathrow said it would end the trials early on 12 November.

The public meeting will take place on Monday evening at Ascot's Pavilion.

Airport sustainability director Matt Gorman, director of policy Nigel Milton and head of air traffic management Mark Burgess will be among those to speak at the meeting, chaired by the Windsor and Maidenhead borough councillor for Ascot and Cheapside David Hilton.

Airspace congestion

National Air Traffic Services head of community affairs Ian Jopson, Windsor MP Adam Afryie and councillor George Bathurst, who chairs the borough's Aviation Forum, will also speak.

Residents will also be able to ask questions.

Last month, Heathrow apologised to anyone who "temporarily experienced more noise than usual" during the trials.

People had complained planes fly over every three minutes and described the noise as "unrelenting".

Mr Bathurst said: "Our residents were not consulted before the trial routes were started and, although Heathrow Airport has said they will reduce the time they are in operation, we are urging them to end them now."

The trial, which affects areas surrounding Ascot including Sunninghill, Sunningdale, Winkfield, Binfield and Warfield, is being carried out to reduce airspace congestion.

The trials are being driven by the government's Future Airspace Strategy (FAS) and are due to end on 26 January 2015.