To ask the Minister for Infrastructure, in light of incidents of low-flying planes at Belfast City Airport in July 2021, for an update on her Department’s role in ensuring that planes remain at a safe height and adhere to their designated flight path.

I can advise that responsibility for civil aviation matters (except aerodromes, i.e. airports) in Northern Ireland (NI) remains a reserved function of the Department for Transport (DfT). Civil Aviation Authority / Air Traffic Control, under DfT, have responsibility for flightpaths, while Airports, being the competent authority, are responsible for controlling noise. As such my Department has limited responsibility for flights paths taken by airlines entering GBBCA.

My Department’s main powers relating to the management of Northern Ireland’s three largest airports are set down in the Airports (NI) Order 1994. These are to direct our airports in certain matters regarding the control of airport noise; and to direct them to provide grants towards the cost of soundproofing buildings.

Noise abatement measures are contained within the Airport’s own Aeronautical Information Publication which can be found at: https://www.aurora.nats.co.uk/htmlAIP/Publications/2020-01-30-AIRAC/html/eAIP/EG-AD-2.EGAC-en-GB.html#AD-2.EGAC

However, the Planning Agreement between the Department and GBBCA does contain an obligation to review the degree of adherence to any published noise abatement procedures in operation at the Aerodrome and to implement continuous descent approaches for arriving aircraft. This information is provided to the Department on an annual basis in a performance report for the preceding calendar year. The restrictions and requirements imposed by the planning agreement are enforceable by the Department and legally binding on the Airport. I can advise that the latest report for 2020 demonstrated compliance with these aspects of the Planning Agreement.