RESIDENTS who have enjoyed months of silence from airplane noise during the pandemic lockdown say it is time for permanent change.

Whitecrook, Linnvale, Drumry, Drumchapel and other neighbourhoods have lived under steadily increasing flights to and from Glasgow Airport over the years.

But that was brought to a dramatic halt by the pandemic lockdown and halt to nearly all air domestic and international travel.

Now residents, campaigners and politicians are calling for a new approach to aircraft noise after months of peace.

The UK’s Independent Commission on Civil Aviation Noise (ICCAN) called for government to make managing noise a “key priority” when aviation levels recover.

And MSP Gil Paterson said it was time to end night flights over Clydebank.

Joe Henry, one of Whitecrook’s leading voices against the disruption and campaigners for noise mitigation for homes under the flight path, told the Post: “This period of lockdown has us, for the first time in years, enjoying the peace and quiet that other areas enjoy all the time.

“It is great to go to our beds at night and not get wakened in the early hours by aircraft coming in to land.

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“The aircraft industry has for too long ignored all our pleas for a ban on night time flights even though we presented them with all the documentation from the World Health Organisation (WHO) that backed up our claims that sleep disturbance can have a detrimental effect on our health and wellbeing.”

Another local resident, who asked not to be named, added: “It’s been so peaceful. I could sit in the garden and actually speak without having to shout above plane noise.

“About an hour ago I said to the kids, ‘I see the planes are back’ as the windows were rattling.”

Gil Paterson MSP told the Post: “With the welcome respite from aircraft noise about to end, then before the noise is ramped up yet again, it’s time for Glasgow Airport to consider putting a stop to aircraft landing and taking off during the night.

“The WHO have warned governments and operators repeatedly about the damage done to people’s health living close to airports, some of the health damages being very profound, not to mention the damage done simply with the continued loss of sleep.

“Although at the moment it’s the UK Government who control airports and the noise from them, it’s time the Scottish Government was in charge and action taken, particularly on night time flights - that would be a huge health step forward for all.”

When asked about night flights, Glasgow Airport said instead that noise issues would be addressed as the aviation economy improved.

A spokesman said: "The coronavirus pandemic has had a devasting impact on aviation, bringing the entire industry to a standstill and resulting in the loss of thousands of jobs.

"Like airports throughout the UK, we’re operating at just a fraction of our capacity and it will take years before we are able to return some form of normality.

"How we manage the impacts of noise will continue to be an important part of our plans as we begin the long process of re-building the airport and re-establishing the routes that will get the country and economy moving again."