Gatwick departure routes 3 and 4

Airspace classification review 2019–2020

o   The Route 3 SID track utilised following PR-NAV implementation in 2013 does not follow the NPR centre-line and requires aircraft to drift up to 600k north directly over South Nutfield at 3000ft altitude (see Route 3 SID showing NPR centre-line)

 o   The current altitude restriction and lateral deviation (from the NPR centre-line) causes unnecessary environmental harm to the settlements of Nutfield and Earlswood (Redhill),

Consideration should be given to removing the current altitude restrictions for waypoints KKN09 and KKW19 and allow departing Gatwick aircraft using route 3 to reach 4000ft before reaching gate 1 (as pre-2012) plus be allowed to climb above 5000ft and vectored away from Nutfield (under control of ATC).

See > NCS Response - Airspace Classification Review 2019 

Route 4 PIR Report 2019

The UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has now published a draft report of its Post Implementation Review (PIR) of Gatwick Airport Limited’s Route 4 RNAV-1 SID Airspace Change Proposal. The draft report is available at > CAA R4 report /CAP1872.

Route 4 is one of Gatwick’s departure routes for aircraft taking off from the airport toward the west. Soon after take-off, aircraft wrap 180 degrees round to the right and head east (passing south of Nutfield Parish).  Following a Judicial Review of its original decision regarding this ACP, the CAA realised that the decision was based on a misunderstanding of the location of the conventional SID. The CAA's draft report of its PIR therefore concludes that the implemented ACP is not a satisfactory replication of the Route 4 conventional departure route and because of this it does not meet the ACP’s original stated aim. This means that Route 4’s RNAV-1 SID will be de-notified and removed from the Aeronautical Information Publication (AIP). As a result aircraft will be required to fly the 2012 conventional SID which was re-instated on 12 September 2019.The CAA are asking for comments before 3 February 2020 and cannot commit to taking into account comments received after this date.                       

You can see our response to this consultation at > NCS response to CAA R4 Report

In this response we have made the point that Gatwick departure route 3 should also be more properly realigned on the NPR (Noise Preferential Route) which would take aircraft one kilometer south of Nutfield Parish. Following the changes which were confirmed by the CAA in 2013 for aircraft taking off from the east on route 3 and engaging a similar wrap around manoeuvre before flying west - currently pass directly over South Nutfield on a track which is also not representative of the pre-2013 position (see map below):