It was 2.45am on a Thursday morning last month and Whitecrook campaigner Joe Henry starts writing an email to Glasgow Airport pleading for night flights to end.

By 2.59am there is another one, he notes in a complaint sent to airport bosses.

“There have been four flights in the last couple of hours,” he wrote. “The wind noise means it’s even noisier than usual. I cannot get to sleep.

“It seems even after 20 years of asking we are no further forward. Do you think this is acceptable practice and would you be happy to have it over your house?”

Night flights have been as persistent an issue for activists in Whitecrook and beyond as the number and volume of day-time take-offs and landings.

Other airports in the UK have local planning restrictions imposed to prevent night flights. Glasgow Airport was built long before that was a consideration and years before its massive expansion into the UK’s eighth busiest airport.

The planned third runway at Heathrow is expected to bring even more flights into Glasgow and over Whitecrook, Linnvale, and Drumchapel.

Glasgow Airport said their night flights make up only 6.8 per cent of annual traffic. But their own website boasts 102,000 flights per year. That would work out to an average of 19 night flights a day.

Mr Henry, who sits on Clydebank East Community Council and has campaigned for compensation and changes from the airport along with resident Tam Brady for many years, told the Post night flights can range from six to 26 a night.

Activists have formed a noise committee to ramp up pressure and Clydebank MSP Gil Paterson is to meet with airport bosses this week.

He told the Post: “We have consistently asked the airport to cease all night time flights from 11pm till 7am to let residents have a period of respite from the 24 hour cycle of horrendous noise we have to endure.

“There are now numerous reports from the World Health Organisation about noise and its impacts on health. We have made these available to Glasgow Airport but it seems commercial interests outweigh public health and we have been treated with contempt by the airport’s insistence on continuing with these night time flights.

“We have had enough. We are now at the stage were we believe that we need a proper study into the effects that the airport and the noise issue is having on people’s health.”

The airport has been inching towards a scheme for insulation and new windows for Whitecrook homes to combat against noise levels.

But a contour map is vague and Mr Paterson believes it will include at least 800 homes.

Campaigners say the area for compensation should be even larger with a lower threshhold for noise decibel levels in line with health warnings from the WHO.

Mr Paterson told the Post he was looking forward to hearing what the airport would have to say about night flights.

He said: “In essence I have always been against night flights as they are the most disruptive and so cause the most damage.

“Unfortunately UK legislation and regulations do not ban night flights.”

A spokesman for Glasgow Airport insisted the number of night flights was “relatively low”.

He said: “In 2017, flights between 11pm and 7am made up 6.8 per cent of our annual traffic.

“Despite this low number, night flights are an important part of our operation. Time differences across the world mean that it is very difficult to avoid flying at night and maintain an interconnected global aviation network.

“However, we appreciate noise is a concern and have listened to the valuable feedback received from the neighbouring communities as part of the public consultation held earlier this year to help shape our Noise Action Plan, which is due to be made public in the coming weeks.

“One of the key features of this five-year plan will be the introduction of a new noise insulation policy developed through local engagement, including MSP Gil Paterson, to help mitigate noise for those most affected.”

The aiport added residents who have concerns about aircraft noise should call them on the Freephone number 0800 013 2429. They will be asked to leave their contact details and will be guaranteed a response within three working days. Alternatively, they can email GLAnoise@glasgowairport.com.

Joe Henry, in his own early morning email to the airport, said: “You will continue to receive emails from me every time I get wakened.”