Aircraft noise more damaging to wellbeing than previously thought Government turns a blind-eye to inconvenient analysis 26 August 2026 Over a million people in the UK are exposed to aircraft noise at home and in their neighbourhood and Transport for London (TfL) argue that London is the worst affected city in Europe. The huge airport expansion drive that successive UK governments and the aviation industry have been promoting, centred on London, will significantly increase health and wellbeing harms. A freedom of information request (FOI) submitted by NEF has identified a report commissioned by the Department for Transport (DfT) showing that the wellbeing losses associated with aircraft noise may be considerably worse than currently assumed. The report was not made available to decision makers considering the expansions of London City, Stansted, Luton and Gatwick airports. Acute noise exposure can disrupt sleep and is a well-known health risk factor, associated with significantly higher rates of both cardiovascular disease and stroke. Airports have schemes to offer the most severely affected communities free or subsidised noise insulation. This insulation significantly reduces the impact of noise on factors like sleep quality and concentration, but it cannot mitigate all of the negative impacts, particularly those experienced outside of the home. Significantly, this insulation subsidy is only offered to a tiny minority of the households affected by aircraft noise. Communities, aviation sector stakeholders, and successive governments have long disputed the severity of the noise impact — particularly for the hundreds of thousands of people who are affected but not offered any form of insulation or compensation. Industry stakeholders argue that the levels of noise these people experience are negligible. As recently as December 2025 a director at the International Airlines Group (parent company to British Airways) told Parliament’s environmental audit committee that 57...