Consultations are ongoing over a proposed flight path

Fresh concerns have been raised by residents about the proposals for new routes which are needed because of an increase in business at the airport.

The new route includes flight approaches over Beeston and Stapleford in Nottinghamshire.

Airport managers said consultation over the flight paths is scheduled to run until January 2005.

Milan Radulovic, leader of Broxtowe Borough Council in Nottinghamshire, said: "We are concerned that if an increase in traffic at East Midlands Airport causes an increase in daytime flights, then there will be commercial pressures to start night time flights."

Very much central to our considerations has been to try and minimise the number of people who are overflown Neil Robinson, airport environmental manager

More than 100 people complained about the possibility of increased noise at a consultation day on 24 November.

"East Midlands Airport employs an enormous number of people, it's one of the largest freight operators in the country," Mr Radulovic said.

The council wants to work with the airport to "make sure it doesn't have a detrimental effect on people's lives," he added.

Airport officials are trying to allay local's fears by drawing comparisons between the noise generated by planes at the Castle Donington site and everyday sounds such as cars travelling nearby.

Neil Robinson, environmental manager at the airport said: "The flight path and the airspace was designed many years ago and we're very much bigger than we were then.

"But, very much central to our considerations has been to try and minimise the number of people who are overflown and to try and make aircraft as quiet and as high as possible."