CAA proposes lawful end to the original Route 4 airspace change proposal
After several unforeseen events (including the intervening general election) the CAA finally issued their draft post implementation review decision on Route 4 on 6 January 2020.
In summary, the contents of the draft report are very positive and reach the only conclusion that is possible on the facts: The CAA have concluded that the currently flown PRNAV route does not replicate the 2012 route.
This has been Plane Justice’s position from Day One, and is very welcome news for residents who have been tormented since 2016 by the unlawful move of Route 4.
Assuming the final report confirms this, and after a further period sufficient to satisfy the practical formalities, the current temporary route will cease and aircraft will revert to flying the 2012 route.
For the sake of complete clarity and because there is misinformation out there, it is important to reiterate that the route to which aircraft would revert is the 2012 route – i.e. the route that was being flown before the first introduction of PRNAV in 2013, when Councillor and MP postbags were all but empty of complaints about Gatwick departures north ofthe airport.
Further, upon reversion, this 2012 route would be flown using the same navigation technology that was predominantly in use on Route 4 in 2012 and prior to 2012 – i.e. a sat-nav coded overlay.
It is possible to comment on the report up to 2nd February at this link: consultations.caa.co.uk/safety-and-airspace-regulation-group/gatwick-route-4-pir-feedback. However the CAA have made clear any new representations will not be accepted; This is an opportunity only to inform the CAA if anyone thinks something has been missed, misunderstood or misinterpreted in the report.