Outrage over planes overflying Albufeira forces aviation authority to call meeting

Editor 12 March 2019

Outrage over planes overflying Albufeira forces aviation authority to call meeting A flood of complaints concerning aircraft allegedly flying over Albufeira that have left local citizens at their wits’ end due to “noise and pollution” has forced the national civil aviation agency (ANAC) to call a meeting at the headquarters of the regional tourism board in Faro on Monday, April 1 at 2.30pm.

In a communiqué sent to the press in Portuguese and English, ANAC said the meeting will be open to the public and be attended by representatives of ANAC, airport authority ANA and air navigation authority NAV Portugal, who will explain the reasons why the flight paths of planes landing and taking off from Faro Airport are the way they are.

ANAC’s Board of Directors invites “all interested citizens to participate in this meeting, so that this matter can be clarified with all concerned parties”.

The controversy dates back to at least December 2017 when local citizens started sending emails to NAV calling for an end to commercial flights over Albufeira.

The group suggests that the flight paths be moved over the sea, keeping at least two kilometres of distance from Praia do Peneco.

“We live here in the quarter above the Peneco and feel constantly disturbed by aircraft noise. What if an airplane crashes here? This is where most people live in the Algarve. You are irresponsible to humans (sic),” one of the members of the citizens’ group wrote in an email to aviation authorities.

The outraged citizens also complain about how “kerosene destroys our old homes, churches, museums and poisons our lungs” and how a plane crash would be disastrous for the town.

A Facebook page called ‘Proibição de aviões sobre Albufeira’ (No planes over Albufeira) was created in 2017 and includes several posts in both Portuguese and English.

michael.bruxo@algarveresident.com

Photo: BRUNO FILIPE PIRES/OPEN MEDIA GROUP

Article courtesy of The Portugal Resident

Comments

+2 #9 Denby 2019-03-19 04:28

Quoting luckysteve:

I live under the flightpath in Albufeira and their is NOT a noise problem. Something very strange going on here.

................................................................
You are right, it's about. ... one person using 3 names and to whip up hysteria about something that is untrue.
It happens on a regular basis by some comment markers on ADN.
Thankfully, Ed does his best to reduce this type of malicious behaviour.

+6 #8 luckysteve 2019-03-17 09:31

I live under the flightpath in Albufeira and their is NOT a noise problem. Something very strange going on here.

-2 #7 Simon J 2019-03-13 23:53

Quoting Beja Boy:

A good reason for attention to switch back to the redundant Beja airport - now just storing the occasional plane. Tens of millions of EU money spent establishing this turkey - now lets finish the motorway leading to it and use it.

Yep an airport 100 miles away ! 100 minutes in a coach, that’s desirable for visitors!

+2 #6 Simon J 2019-03-13 23:49

The photograph accompanying this article is a disgrace. It does not represent the 3000 foot altitude that any aircraft would be when overhead Albufeira. Sensational clap trap. Baldrick level stupidity imho

+1 #5 Low Flyer 2019-03-13 11:42

Sadly for those in the flight-path, it is the wind which dictates where that path will be. My sympathies, having lived under Heathrow's, including Concorde, which could be heard LONG before any other approaching. Only tiny consolation is the restriction of hours between 11pm and 7am, or am I wrong here?

-3 #4 Beja Boy 2019-03-13 10:36

A good reason for attention to switch back to the redundant Beja airport - now just storing the occasional plane. Tens of millions of EU money spent establishing this turkey - now lets finish the motorway leading to it and use it.

0 #3 RCK 2019-03-13 09:30

Light aircraft noise is dire in Lagos these days too & getting worse. This is worse than commercial jets in my view. (My house in England is not far from a large provincial airport and noise is not an issue there) These slow aircraft literally drone away for minutes at a time as they approach, pass over or come within several kilometres of my home in a quiet part of Lagos. There are dozens of them every day creating their noise pollution and the noise often goes on from 9am throughout the day. Just as you are thankful that an aircraft is out of earshot, another one approaches or flys nearby to shatter the peace & quiet. If you live in a quiet area as I do, it becomes quite wearing at times. I wonder if there is a flying school operating in the Portimao area? It seems to be much worse than it used to be.
Don’t start me off about noise pollution from 3rd party music JamesAlgarve ........ the lack of consideration for other people is endemic these days sadly.

0 #2 JamesAlgarve 2019-03-13 08:32

Just another point.
Why should residents pay any taxes to the Albufeira camara if the camara refuses to uphold it's own bye laws about music noise and other noise in residential areas?

+2 #1 JamesAlgarve 2019-03-13 06:31

Quite right it is about time the rights of residents were respected. It is the height of irresponsibility to allow aircraft to fly over Albufeira.
It is also time that the law that covers noise was actually upheld.Many people's lives are made a misery over the season by relentless illegal music pumped out by hotels and bars.

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