4.The Act makes it clear that an aerodrome authority may charge aircraft operators for use of the aerodrome by reference to the emissions from an aircraft (as well as to the noise produced). The Government's intention in doing so is to enable aerodrome operators to set their charges to reflect the impact of aircraft on local air quality in the vicinity of an airport, where there are local air quality problems. The powers of the Secretary of State to limit noise and vibration from the taking-off and landing of aircraft at a designated aerodrome are widened and the operator of a designated aerodrome is given the power to levy financial penalties on an aircraft operator who breaches noise abatement requirements imposed by the Secretary of State. Aerodrome operators of other aerodromes are given new powers to make noise control schemes.
5.The Secretary of State and aerodrome operators remain subject to the Aerodromes (Noise Restrictions) (Rules and Procedures) Regulations 2003, which transposed into UK law Directive 2002/30/EC. The regulations set out the procedures airports should follow when considering noise related operating restrictions and reflects the adoption by the EU of ICAO's (International Civil Aviation Organisation) balanced approach that airports should not impose measures which are more restrictive than necessary to achieve noise objectives and should not discriminate on grounds of nationality, air carrier or manufacturer. The regulations apply to city airports (as defined in the regulations) and civil airports that have more than 50,000 movements of civil subsonic jet aeroplanes per calendar year.