Departure Noise Infringement Fines

The Government sets the noise limits on departing aircraft and noise is measured at fixed monitors around Heathrow. Departures are continually monitored and if an aircraft creates more noise than is allowed, the airline is fined. As part of Heathrow's Noise Action Plan 2019-2023, we have committed to publishing the total and individual fines levied on airlines for night time and day time noise limit infringements each year. Below is a list of all noise fines in 2019 as well as a table showing how Heathrow calculates fines. 

In accordance with our Noise Action Plan we will continue to direct all money raised by departure noise infringements to the Heathrow Community Fund (HCF), an independent grant-making charity, to distribute to community projects in the Heathrow airport area - these include projects which support young people, help protect the environment and support active local communities.

Specifically, all noise infringement fines are used to fund the HCF’s Environment & Sustainability Grants programme. In 2019, this programme was used to fund a wide variety of community projects including new wildlife gardens at local schools and a biodiversity project for a new hospice. 

More information on the Heathrow Community Fund can be found here. This site includes an interactive map displaying all community projects funded by the HCF in recent years.  We will continue to update this map as new projects are funded. 

The Noise Action Plan sets out how Heathrow plans to manage and reduce the impact of aircraft noise over a five-year period. It goes beyond the requirement of European legislation by considering actions which will manage ground and air noise for all those communities affected. Heathrow submitted its draft Noise Action Plan for the period 2019-2023 to the Government for approval in August 2018, following six weeks of consultation from 16 May to 26 June 2018. The final Noise Action Plan was published in early 2019 and can be found here.