AIRCRAFTS using Southend Airport overnight are facing increased costs as airport chiefs ramp up efforts to encourage quieter and cleaner flights.

Previously, planes using the airport overnight had to pay either £232 or £464 per flight.

Now, the airport has increased the price to £500 for planes landing at the airport at night, and £750 to take off at night.

Amazon cargo flights have been running overnight at the airport since October 2019, leaving residents under the flight path frustrated at sleepless nights.

The airport has now published a new price list for aircrafts, in the hope of encouraging more flights during the day.

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Glyn Jones, CEO of Southend Airport, “The new price list reflects our focus on actively reducing community and environmental impacts to ensure we can continue to operate sustainably, while maintaining our excellent service and standards.”

Before October 1, when the new prices came into force, aircrafts under 19 tonnes would need to pay £232 to take off and land overnight, compared to planes weighing more than 20 tonnes needing to cough up £464.

The airport has also introduced charging to encourage cleaner aircraft with a NOx Emission Surcharge of £3.50 per kg NOx per movement.

Carole Mulroney, councillor in charge of environment, culture, tourism and planning, said: “A lot of people will welcome these charges, but if you live underneath the path, you will still be able to hear the planes.

“We will need to determine whether the charges make a difference to the night flights. Our view is that we’re still against the night flights.

“We haven’t seen anything that will change that viewpoint. However, it’s a step in the right direction.

“We will need to figure out if it’s enough of an incentive to those using the airport. We’re seeing the airport become increasingly reliant on cargo flights, so these new charges make sense.”

Southend Airport has promised to negotiate with Amazon to use quieter aircrafts at night.