London Gatwick has put out a call inviting communities and stakeholders to give their views on options regarding an Airspace Change Proposal (ACP) for Route 4 – one of the departure routes for aircraft leaving the Airport.
A 14-week consultation is set to gather feedback from the public on proposed plans to reintroduce satellite-based navigational procedures on the exit route in question, which is one of nine existing departure routes from the airport.
Currently; planes flying Route 4 take-off in a westerly direction from the main runway before turning 180 degrees northwards and heading east to their final destination.
A new government programme to modernise the UK’s airspace will see airports across the country formally required to adopt new navigational procedures utilising modern, satellite-based technology.
An initial Route 4 airspace change was instigated in 2012, and satellite-based navigational procedures were first introduced on all nine departure routes from the Main Runway at London Gatwick, including Route 4, in 2013, but due to a number of regulatory and legal challenges this technology was withdrawn on the route in 2019.
Since then; London Gatwick has been working extensively to process a new ACP that will reintroduce the navigational procedures on Route 4 and overcome any issues identified in the legal challenge.
The Airport has stated that the reintroduction is crucial due to the gradual phasing-out of the ground-based infrastructure which supports conventional navigation. This is due to a national modernisation programme which has, thus far, already seen the adoption of the new navigation procedures at all of London Gatwick’s other arrival and Main Runway departure routes.
As well as being a regulatory requirement; the proposals will also aim to deliver benefits for local communities including reduced noise and environmental impacts.
Public consultations on the four shortlisted options for future operation of Route 4 are set to run from Tuesday 20 January 2026 to 23:59 on Tuesday 28 April 2026. For more information, see London Gatwick’s schedule, here.
