Departing aircraft are encouraged to use Continuous Climb Departures (CCD)
Arriving aircraft are encouraged to use Continuous Descent Approaches (CDA)
Edinburgh Airport works closely with Sustainable Aviation to improve noise and air quality around Edinburgh Airport. Sustainible Aviation launched in 2005 to bring together major UK airlines, airports, manufacturers, air navigation service providers and key business partners to work together to find collaborative ways of improving environmental performance and creating a balanced debate to ensure sustainable growth of the airline industry,
Sustainable Aviation and partners have set a range of goals and commitments covering climate change, noise and local air quality
Continuous Climb Departures (CCD) are encouraged due to the potential for noise and Air Quality improvements for local communities.
The greatest benefit of continuous climb departures is the significant reduction in CO2 emissions and the benefits this has on air quality. Edinburgh Airport promotes the use of continuous climb techniques at Edinburgh Airport with the average monthly achievment figures reaching 100% for the majority of the year
Climbing to optimum cruising altitude and out of congested airspace can reduce CO2 per departure by 100-300 kilograms and reduce the impact of noise on communities slightly further from the airfield by ensuring aircraft are at higher altitudes when they pass over densly populated areas such as Livingston.
Sustainable Aviation also promotes best practice in take-off and landing operations through the publication, in partnership with others, of codes of practice.
Further information on CCDs and the scientific reasoning behind the use of these and other procedures can be found on Sustainable Aviation’s website www.sustainableaviation.co.uk/goals/noise/
| Below we have provided a table of monthly average CCD/CDA pecentages acheived for 2022 onwards, data will be updated on a Quarterly basis. In addtion we have also provided a link to a document | ||||||||||||||||
| which provides a breakdown of those monthly figures, the graph shows the top 15 airline performers for each month. | ||||||||||||||||
Annual monthly CDA - top 15 Airlines 2021
Annual monthly CDA - top 15 Airlines 2022
Annual monthly CDA - top 15 Airlines 2023
Annual monthly CDA - top 15 Airlines 2024
Annual monthly CCD - top 15 Airlines 2021
Annual monthly CCD - top 15 Airlines 2022
Annual monthly CCD - top 15 Airlines 2023
Annual monthly CCD - top 15 Airlines 2024
When an aircraft carries out a CDA the aircraft descends towards the airport runway in a gradual, continuous approach with the engine power cut back.
By flying higher for longer and eliminating the need for the extra thrust required for the periods of level flight between steps of descent, CDAs result in reduced fuel burn and emissions and mean less noise exposure for communities under the arrivals flight path.
This type of procedure can result in noise reductions of up to 5 dB
In 2006 a multiagency study and report on CDA's and the possible benefits was commisioned there findings are detailed below int he attached document
The ability of an aircraft to carry out a CDA may be affected by many things including other airtraffic in the sky around and above Edinburgh Airport, weather , the type of Aircraft that is being flown and the Airlines own policies and procedures for arrivals.
Noise from Arriving Aircraft An Industry Code of Practice