Fiona Hyslop MSP Response to Edinburgh Airport’s Airspace Change Consultation 14 January 2026
I am responding to this consultation as the Member of the Scottish Parliament for the Linlithgow Constituency. My Constituency includes the towns and villages of Armadale, Avonbridge, Bathgate, Blackburn, Blackridge, Boghall, Bridgend, Broxburn, Dechmont, Ecclesmachan, East Whitburn, Greenrigg, Linlithgow, Linlithgow Bridge, Newton, Philpstoun, Torphichen, Uphall, Westfield, Whitburn and Winchburgh.
I understand that Edinburgh Airport are conducting this consultation on Airspace Change as part of a wider programme relating to the UK Government’s Airspace Modernisation Strategy.
I recognise that Edinburgh Airport is an important national asset – providing an essential service in connecting Scotland to the rest of the world and providing local employment opportunities. However, the Airport must fully consider the views, concerns and experiences of their neighbouring communities when making decisions that affect so many. Those views must carry meaningful value in determining the outcomes following this consultation.
I am concerned that the proposed preferred routes appear to be a rebranded version of those already strongly opposed and rejected by my constituents in 2015. I have included a link to my previous consultation submission from 2015 below, as I believe that many of these concerns are still valid within the context of the current proposals being consulted on.
I am primarily concerned with the proposed routes of GULLY/BERRY/STOPP options 1,2 and 3. With options 1 and 3 appearing to be either identical or close variants in profile to the TUTUR 1C route trialled over ten years ago, which was strongly opposed by residents, community groups, and elected representatives. That trial resulted in significant noise intrusion and disruption for communities under the flight path, particularly due to low-altitude turns over heavily populated areas. The overwhelming feedback at the time was that such a route was unacceptable.
During the TUTUR 1C trial, I undertook extensive engagement with affected communities. This included:
- Conducting a constituency-wide survey in the most impacted towns and villages (Broxburn, Uphall, Dechmont, Bridgend, Ecclesmachan, and the Springfield area of Linlithgow).
- Personally delivering surveys to all registered voters in these areas.
- Receiving over 2,000 responses, despite no freepost return option, demonstrating the strength of opposition.
- Publishing the findings, which showed a clear majority opposed the route due to noise, health, and quality-of-life impacts.
While modern navigation technology may allow aircraft to fly more precise routes, reducing the spread of flights, the proposed design will concentrate a high volume of flights over the same towns and villages previously affected. This will exacerbate noise and environmental impacts for these communities, rather than distributing them more equitably. The consultation is not explicit about noise levels to be expected and does not address precisely how new technologies and more focussed and monitored flight paths will be better, and indeed what level of fines can be enforced to ensure they are kept to in avoiding villages.
There are several outstanding issues that I believe need to be clearly addressed, which I have detailed below:
- The constant noise experienced during the TUTUR trial was reported by the majority of constituents responding to my survey as being noticeable and intrusive and/or unacceptable and disturbing. These concerns remain valid.
- Previously unaffected areas are likely to be particularly sensitive to new overflight.
- The consultation must clearly justify the need for change and demonstrate how community feedback will influence decisions.
- Consideration as to the potential affects to property values and support in terms of noise reduction for those negatively impacted.
- The Airport does not propose a trial of the new flight paths and is extremely difficult for constituents to imagine sound levels they have not experienced.
- The option for no change does not seem to be presented for consideration.
I trust that this submission, and those submitted by all my constituents, will be given full consideration and will be used in a meaningful and constructive manner to inform future decisions in relation to Airspace Change.