OREANDA-NEWS. Heathrow has today launched a new online tool providing residents with information about flight paths and flight patterns over time. The new system, the first of its kind to be used in the UK, makes information about Heathrow's flight paths more accessible for local residents and those moving into the area.

WebTrak My Neighbourhood allows users to type in their postcode into the map-based website to understand how aircraft movements change over time and how often particular flight paths are used. This gives them a better understanding of how flight paths work so they can be better informed about Heathrow's operations.

The new website is an addition to Heathrow's current Webtrak system, which allows users to track specific flights, heights and aircraft types. Used together, the two systems will enable people to track trends over time and give people more access to both flight and aircraft routes information. The website is in the early stages of development and further enhancements to the system are planned over the next 18 months to enable residents to access information specific to their location. The UK's only hub is the second airport in the world to launch after Eindhoven airport.

Matt Gorman, Sustainability Director of Heathrow said: “From meeting with communities around Heathrow, we know they want access to good quality information so they can understand patterns of aircraft noise in their local area and what is being done to tackle it. We hope they will find the new tool useful and continue to give us feedback on how we can improve our communications around noise in future."

The launch of Webtrak My Neighbourhood follows the publication of 'A quieter Heathrow', a report which sets out the steps Heathrow takes to both reduce noise and improve community engagement. This lists the actions across five key areas that Heathrow takes to reduce aircraft noise while safeguarding the connectivity and growth that Heathrow currently provides: encouraging quieter planes; implementing quieter operating procedures; noise mitigation schemes and influencing land-use planning; applying operating restrictions and working with local communities.