Biggin Hill Airport Residents' Noise Action Forum (ARNAF)

The KVRA is a member of the Biggin Hill Airport Residents' Noise Action Forum and KVRA Committee members Shelley Sturdy and Peter Zieminski attend its meetings. The ARNAF meets quarterly and is chaired by the Airport's Chief Executive Officer, Mr. David Winstanley.  The ARNAF exists to:

• Be an effective medium for constructive dialogue and interaction between London Biggin Hill Airport (LBHA) and local residents associations.
• Enable understanding of, examination of, and, where possible, improvement of steps taken by LBHA to minimise disruption caused to the local communities by LBHA business. This is specifically in relation to, but not limited to, the Noise Action Plan.
• Act as a critical friend to the airport, at all times looking at constructive ways to move towards making positive enhancements for the benefit of all. 
• Provide an effective conduit for the transmission of outcomes and residents’ concerns to the BHACC (including through the NSSC as appropriate).

The KVRA's active engagement with the Airport and the ARNAF focuses on four strategic objectives:

• Reduce the number of  jet aircraft incursions into the Keston Noise Sensitive Area (NSA) by supporting the Airport's proposed resolution through the introduction of the new Runway 03 trial approach.
• Reduce the overall number of non-justifiable incursions into the Keston NSA by helicopters and light aircraft.
• Review the boundaries of the Keston NSA in order to create a meaningful NSA area that encompasses all KVRA residents.
• To ensure that the KVRA is represented on the BHACC.

The easiest way to report an aircraft is on-line using the Airport's Webtrak system. The purpose of Webtrak is to allow the local community to see aircraft operating in and out of London Biggin Hill, together with those aircraft that are over flying the local area. Should it be thought that an aircraft has flown outside of the agreed areas, the system can be used to generate a complaint to the Airport – this triggers an investigation.

It is important to note that Webtrak automatically includes the details of the aircraft you are reporting and where you live in relation to the aircraft flight path.

Instructions as to how to use the Webtrak system can be found on Biggin Hill Airport's website - here is the link: https://bigginhillairport.com/community/noise/#feedback

From the 17th of June to the 17th of September 2024 the KVRA undertook a monitoring exercise to assess the number of aircraft incursions into the Keston Noise Sensitive Area (NSA). Complaints were reported using WebTrak in accordance with the Airport’s complaints process. The outcomes from the exercise were finalised on the 4th of March 2025 when the Airport provided details of all outstanding complaint investigations. A total of 417 aircraft incursions were reported and the headline findings showed that:

37% of aircraft were found to have had no justifiable or mitigating reasons whatsoever for entering the Keston NSA

35% of aircraft were following an Air Traffic Control (ATC) instruction for safety requirements (i.e. separation to allow other aircraft to land; safety requirements when operating heritage aircraft (spiral descents); hazard avoidance (birds).

28% of aircraft were executing the permitted Visual Flight Rules (VFR) Runway 03 approach as a consequence of the prevailing weather conditions. 

A detailed breakdown of the monitoring exercise findings is attached below.

The  KVRA's application to join the Biggin Hill Airport Consultative Committee (BHACC) was approved on the 23rd of April 2025.  The role of the Consultative Committee is to help provide a forum for discussing airport-related issues with those who may be affected.  For more details of the work of the BHACC visit:  

https://bigginhillairport.com/community/airport-consultative-committee/