London Gatwick has announced that communities and stakeholders have one week left to respond to its public consultation on the future operation of Route 4, one of the airport’s departure routes, as part of an Airspace Change Proposal.
The 14-week consultation closes at 23:59 on Tuesday 28 April 2026 and asks for feedback on four shortlisted options for reintroducing satellite-based navigational procedures on the route.
Route 4 is one of nine departure routes from Gatwick’s main runway. Aircraft currently take off westbound, then turn north before heading east to their destination. The proposed change is part of a wider UK programme to modernise airspace, which requires airports to adopt satellite-based navigation as older ground-based systems are phased out.
Gatwick first introduced these procedures across all nine departure routes in 2013, but Route 4 was withdrawn from the system in 2019 following regulatory and legal challenges. The airport says it has since worked to address those issues and progress the proposal.
Gatwick says reintroducing the new navigation procedures is both a regulatory necessity and potentially beneficial for some communities, with possible reductions in noise and environmental impact. People can take part by visiting the consultation website, viewing printed materials at deposit locations, or submitting postal responses to Freepost ROUTE 4 CONSULTATION.
Feedback will be reviewed and included in a Consultation Report that accompanies the final proposal. Support and further information are available via the website, email, freephone number, and Freepost address.
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