The noise of night time flights violates the human rights of those who live on the flightpath by breaking their sleep, the European Court of Human Rights ruled in 2001.

The government appealed, saying that ending night flights would give European airlines an unfair advantage. British Airways estimates the cost of changing their night timetable at �320m.

Is it a human right to have a good night's sleep? Is there a better alternative to ending night time flights?

This debate is now closed. Read a selection of your comments below.

The following comments reflect the balance of views we have received:

How about banning politicians who don't seem to have anything better to do? Karl Peters, UK

Yawn. Why not ban night flights? Why not go the whole hog and ban flights completely just so night shift workers don't have their sleep interrupted either? Why not go even further and ban traffic on motorways in case that disturbs the people that chose to live nearby? Shall we also stop trains from running in case people who live near the tracks are disturbed? How about banning politicians who don't seem to have anything better to do?
Karl Peters, UK

I live in near Manchester Airport and cannot say that night flights have ever affected my sleep. All I can say is 'hurrah' at last someone has stood up and said 'no' to one of the nonsense laws brought in by the EU. It's about time!!!
Nicholas Clifford, England

I've lived in West London for nearly 30 years, most of the time on the Heathrow flight path, and don't have a problem with night flights. Closing the double glazing always seemed to be enough to remove most of the noise and you soon get used to it. One thing I do find annoying though are the people that paid substantially less for their houses precisely because they are on an airport flight path, then complain a few years later that they can't sell their house for as much as similar houses in other areas.
Giles Clinker, UK

Is it a human right to have a good night's sleep? If such were the case surely the use of sirens on ambulances should be muted, traffic should be diverted away from residential areas and cargo trains should cease after a certain hour.
Alan, Ireland

There are hundreds of thousands, if not millions, affected by this Derrick K., UK

For goodness sake, stop rubbishing this by harping on about 8 people who have moved to the area recently. There are hundreds of thousands, if not millions, affected by this and most of us moved to our homes (mine is in Richmond) years before all this!
Derrick K., UK

I live in Twickenham (approx 4 miles SE of Heathrow), I love planes and I enjoy the convenience of Heathrow for business travel. This does not, however, stop me from understanding the plight of these people under the flight path. I have been brought up around Heathrow. There has been a dramatic increase in the number of flights and a huge change to the flight patterns. I understand the demand, however there are another four viable airports in the South-East; why aren't these flights shared amongst these airports? Finally, many people (my family included) moved into the area long before this whole issue took hold.
Justin Thomas, UK

There certainly is an alternative to night flights at Heathrow Airport - build a third runway and sixth terminal building so that more flights can be handled during normal operational hours.
Alan Paddie,

It is part of modern life so get used to it Malcolm, England

Like so many other issues in the modern day there are plenty of people willing to complain, but they never try to come up with solutions. It is ridiculous to try and prevent expansion of flights, they are bound to increase year on year for all kinds of reasons. I get disturbed almost every night by sirens from a fire station down the road, and there are always police cars and ambulances rushing around. It is part of modern life so get used to it. We all have crosses to bear of one sort or another. The only real solution to this is advanced technology which may, in time, produce silent propulsion for aircraft, until then get ear plugs!
Malcolm, England.

I don't know what all the fuss is about: the current generation of civilian aircraft is quiet compared to the planes of 25 years ago, or to a military aircraft. I used to live at the end of the runway of a military airfield which had both fighters and transports taking off 24 hours a day 7 days a week. The noise never really worried me or anyone else. Stop whinging, or move!
David Moran, Scotland/Australia

Night flights should not be banned to avoid a high percentage of staff in the aviation industry from losing their jobs.
Uzoma Ugoji, United kingdom

I wish people would read the story before posting in this forum. We are not talking about the problems suffered by 8 people. We are talking about the plight of millions of people, living up to 20 miles away from major airports. The fact that 8 people actually came forward and tested the government on their cash-grabbing policy by using the court of human rights is irrelevant. These people are the voice of the many.
Andy, UK

It is time for members of the European Parleiment take up the cause Peter Pegg, UK

I have considerable sympathy with the public in the vicinity of Heathrow. The recent judgement is a blow to all those who suffer sleep starvation due to night flying. I live nine miles from East Midlands Airport and the last three months has witnessed an unprecedented increase in the intensity of flights between midnight and 06.00. The effect is a period of continual sleep disturbance. I doubt this situation is confined to the UK and must be felt throughout the EU. The resolution is clear; it is time for members of the European Parleiment take up the cause and produce a common ban on all non essential flights during the period midnight to 06.30.
Peter Pegg, UK

Whine, whine whine. All I hear is people whining about how tough it is for them. Those who moved in before Heathrow was the size it is now, still moved to an area near both our capital city and an airport. Did they really expect the airport to shrink in size? As for those poor souls who live in council accommodation courtesy of my taxes, that's just too bad. I get planes going over my house, I live with it.
Dave Tankard, UK

In this country airports could be located on the coast, without affecting accessibility to any great extent, with landings and take-offs over the sea disturbing no one. Relocate and appreciate!
John M, Lyne Meads, UK

To John M - Aircrafts always land and take-off in the same direction (i.e. into wind). Therefore at least 50% of the aircraft movements would be over land anyway. Also runways are always aligned with the prevailing wind and therefore if that happens to be along the coast rather than across it there would be no benefit at all. Nice try though.
Gary W, UK

This legal case is relevant to more than half a million people Cllr Ruth Cadbury, LB Hounslow, UK

Many current residents have lived here since before Heathrow became a 24 hour airport, and many live in council and housing association homes and have no choice about where they live. The legal action started in 1993, when the Government brought in the ruling to allow 16 flights per night before 6am. So it is not true to say that most of the 1/2 million people in West London who suffer from aircraft noise, a) had a choice before they moved here, or b) knew what they were getting. This legal case is relevant to more than half a million people in and around London - not just the eight named in the action.
Cllr Ruth Cadbury, LB Hounslow, UK

You can't expect the whole country to go out of their way just for the sake of 8 people. Those families have chosen to live there knowing what was in store for them. They want a peaceful night's sleep and the rest of the country want to travel for less money; who's to say which one should have what they want? In general though the majority wins. Those families have the choice to move, but crippling our economy just for them is not a choice.
Craig Hunt, England

These people who are complaining seem to be fairly young. This means that the airport was busy by the time they moved into their homes.
Michael Dunkley, England

We are not just talking about a few 'NIMBYs' living around the perimeter fence here Alan, UK

We are not just talking about a few 'NIMBYs' living around the perimeter fence here. These are vast areas of West London. Very little holiday traffic goes through Heathrow. They are scheduled flights with charter holiday flights served by Gatwick. As to the argument that we "knew before we moved here"; the restriction on night time flights was only lifted 10 years ago so there were none when people moved here. And it is not 8 families; try 8 million and you will be nearer the mark.
Alan, UK

Remember this is not just a major airport problem. I have lived near Southampton airport for the last 13 years with no problems. Recently they have expanded the number and time of fights. This does have an impact on the quality of life. At the end of the day no one gives a hoot - only people it affects.
Perry, England

I have lived in the airport village's, namely Harlington for the last 40 years. The noise of aircraft landing in the early hours of the morning is intolerable. This judgement does nothing to reassure local residents that we will not have a third runway, indeed if this happens I will get no sleep at all. being some few hundred metres from the runway threshold. The Government have got to realise that we are not going to take much more of the industry's continual cries of more, more, more.
Janet Black, United Kingdom

No they shouldn't be banned on the basis of these peoples' complaints. Buying a house near a major airport, then complaining about the noise is like moving to the country and complaining about cows mooing or farmyard smells. You and nobody else chose your living environment. Grow up and now take responsibility for your choice.
Pete, UK

It is sometimes impossible to get back to sleep Pablo Abella, London W4

I happen to live right under the flight path of runway 26R at Heathrow and despite being about 13 miles from the threshold of the runway, the noise of the planes is tremendous. Without failure, every morning that 26R is in use, I am woken at around 4:30 by the roar of the first aircraft coming in for a landing. There are another 5 or 6 planes that come in before 6:00, which means it is sometimes impossible to get back to sleep. And on the worst days, it also wakes up my children! Ban the flights!
Pablo Abella, London W4

The demand for night flights and for airport expansion is driven by cheap package holidays sold on the back of untaxed aviation fuel. Air traffic is environmentally damaging and it is time that the volume was controlled rather than self-fulfilling "predict and provide" schemes.
Brian W, UK

As a resident of south London, at least ten miles from Heathrow, I am constantly disturbed by aircraft noise. The government is already in breach of directives on human rights by defining "night time" as being from 11 pm to 6 am rather than 7 am. It will now flout rights and regulations further by continuing to allow flights in the already curtailed night time period. I do not believe that there will be much damage to the economy by banning flights between 11 pm and 6 am. Keep activity to the hours when most of society is awake and let us preserve a little respect for others who are trying to sleep.
Andrew, UK

Heathrow is critical to London's economy Allan Donaldson, UK

I think our economy is much more important to the general public than eight families who choose to live directly under the Heathrow flight path. Heathrow is critical to London's economy and we should always be looking at expanding not reducing traffic.
Allan Donaldson, UK

Can they not engineer sound wave cancelling machines to take care of this?
Doug, UK

The unsympathetic comments here ignore the fact that flight paths often change (the most prominent example being after September the 11th) and thus many families who decided to live in quiet areas now endure over flights by jumbo jets at midnight. It's a sad reflection that people care more about saving a few pounds on their holiday airfare than the wellbeing of others.
Phil, UK

Human rights legislation was never drafted for this purpose Adrian M Lee, England

Human rights legislation was never drafted for this purpose and should not be used for it here. There has been an airport at Heathrow for over 50 years. What did the people who bought houses around Heathrow think they would hear at night? Instead of reverting to litigation with talk of human rights, how about some acceptance of personal responsibility? If you buy a house next to an airport there is going to be noise. Either accept it or move away.
Adrian M Lee, England

This is a conservation issue more than anything else. An extensive air network is great for everyone wanting low-cost flights etc, but the environmental implications are high - especially if people in the flight paths have to be relocated to housing that eats into green belts. Also, when many flights are made in half-empty planes it is obvious that more environment-conscious thinking is required. And businesses - in this age of the internet, video-conferencing etc is it really necessary to fly your employees all over the country for one meeting?
Tim, UK

Are the same residents who are complaining about the night flights, the same residents who either work at the airports and have a very good living out of it, or who enjoy the benefits of being 10 minutes away from a major airport? They want all the benefits of the jobs and then convenience, but without the actual planes!
Sharon, Scotland

My Grandma used to walk through the cherry tree fields there Penny, UK

There are very few people who can honestly say that they didn't know Heathrow was down the road when they bought their house. It's part of modern living. It was a factor that I considered when I bought my own house close to the airport. The only person I know that remembers what Heathrow was like before the planes is my Grandma, who used to walk through the cherry tree fields that used to be there.
Penny, UK

This is an issue for more than just the immediate neighbours of the airport. I sometimes get woken at 5.00am at my home in Kent by aircraft circling over in the Biggin Hill stack and this can only get worse. It the government is set to increase flight numbers as it appears to be, this could mean 24 hour noise across most of the south east.
Tim Sowter, England

I've lived in the Heathrow flight path, in Richmond, for 25 years, and it really isn't that bad. Considering that people round here live in nice houses, in a leafy, prosperous area, I really do get fed up with them complaining.
Sarah, UK

How many of those that want night flights banned moved into the area knowing that planes regularly fly over? How many of them go on holiday? If night flights are banned, airlines and airfield authorities will need to recoup the cost of buying and owning by raising prices, and since they will not need so much staff, there will be layoffs.
David Simpkins, England

The economic argument can be used as a trump card against any argument David Hazel, UK

Once again the big vested business interests with lots of money have ridden roughshod over the wishes of ordinary people. Apparently, the economic argument can be used as a trump card against any argument in this country. No wonder people these days feel powerless in the face of such an overwhelmingly cynical business lobby. It isn't enough that the powers-that-be reneged on the promise not to build another terminal at Heathrow; they've got to use the place 24 hours a day as well.
David Hazel, UK

I do think that the houses in flight paths should be soundproofed as much as possible, but let's face it, they're cheap, and that's why people moved there; it was a trade off. Despite popular opinion, getting something for nothing is not a "right".
Russ, UK

Yes, they knew that airports have night flights before they moved there. That's like banning lorries from main roads because people live near. Get a grip people.
Derran, UK

It's every human's right to have a proper night's sleep. It's detrimental to our mental and physical health. Again it shows that the government is mostly concerned with money and power than the health of its people.
Niki, UK

If you ban night flights you force other airports to have night traffic Volker, England (ex Germany)

You can't ban night flights completely due to the different time zones. Think about it. If you ban night flights then you force other airports to have night traffic. Reduce it to a minimum, but a complete ban is ridiculous. Flying is part of our lives. People who don't like it can move elsewhere.
Volker, England (ex Germany)

So this presumably gives us the right to ride our motorbikes up and down the road outside the airlines bosses' houses!
Tom Potts, UK

Tens of thousands of night-workers have to sleep through the cacophony of the average urban day - and you don't hear them complaining about the racket the rest of us are making. They seem to manage and so should the rest of us. If you're too precious and delicate to cope with noise, then buy earplugs or move house.
C Hunter, England