London Heathrow Airport

[JJP]

Does LHR become a 24-hour airport at some point? 

Thanks!

[NorgeFly]

I don't know the answer to your question with regard to the game, but I am pretty sure that in real life LHR has strict curfew times... think it closes for around 5hours through the night. So maybe the game reflects this...

[elleana]

Yup, due to some urban planning noise regulations the airport closes at night.

[JJP]

Bummer. I thought it wouldn't matter, but it kind of goofs up my long-haul flights.  Bummer. 

[Sami]

LHR night curfew is modeled (though technically the airport is open 24h but no scheduled flights are allowed in the night)

[swiftus27]

It is probably "open" for emergency use only.  There is probably a few ground controllers and some approach controllers, but thats it.

[toyotaboy95]

LHR night curfew is modeled (though technically the airport is open 24h but no scheduled flights are allowed in the night)

Actually, flights are allowed:
Night-time flights at Heathrow are subject to restrictions. Between 11.00 p.m. and 7.00 a.m. the noisiest aircraft (rated QC/8 and QC/16) cannot be scheduled to operate at all. In addition, between 11.30 p.m. and 6.00 a.m. (the night quota period) there are three limits:

A limit on the number of flights allowed;
A quota count system which limits the total amount of noise permitted, but allows operators to choose to operate fewer noisy aircraft or a greater number of quieter planes
A voluntary ban on QC/4 aircraft.                  Maybe implement noise restriction/noise "group" per aircraft?

Sources: http://www.heathrowairport.com/portal/page/HeathrowNoise%5EConsultation+and+schemes%5ENight+noise+insulation+scheme/36a1aa1f9f1d5110VgnVCM10000036821c0a____/448c6a4c7f1b0010VgnVCM200000357e120a____/, Wikipedia

[Sami]

That LHR data is directly from people working at the airport...

[toyotaboy95]

That LHR data is directly from people working at the airport...

when i checked the timetable at BAA

LHR-AUH
25-Oct - - - - - - 7 0215 0540 5 BA072 777 Non-Stop 07:25 hrs

the curfew in the game is 23-06
but...there's a flight departing at 5:40AM?

UPDATE (other examples): 27-Mar 03-Apr 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 2345 1435+1 1 NZ039 772 1 Stop 26:50 hrs (LHR-AKL)
28-Mar 01-May 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 2355 0545+1 3 CX251 744 Non-Stop 12:50 hrs (LHR-HKG)
27-Mar 27-Mar - - - - - 6 - 2359 1430+1 4 QF029 744 1 Stop 24:31 hrs (LHR-MEL)

05:05 BA026 HONG KONG  EXPECTED 0455  Terminal five (HKG-LHR)

extending/eliminating the curfew would help ppl based at LHR very much

[Big Ern]

This is not actual data, but something that I remember. LHR was closed during night time, but was opened to the aircraft with less noise later on. Can't remember when and which a/c. It's maybe worth checking the data again? It's weird that people working at LHR would say that... A puzzle...

Something I found on http://www.heathrowairport.com/portal/page/XYZHeathrowNoise/

"The restrictions apply from 11pm to 7am. This is known as the Night period. Tighter restrictions apply between 11.30pm and 6am. This is known as the Night Quota period. The periods between the Night Quota period and the night period ie 11pm to 11.30pm and 6am to 7am are known as the Shoulder periods.
Over the whole of the Night period (ie 11pm to 7am) the noiest types of aircraft cannot be scheduled to operate.

In the Night Quota period (ie from 11.30pm to 6am) there are two limits. The first restricts flights to a maximum number. The second is the Quota Count points system. Each aircraft which wishes to oeprate at night has to be assessed by the Civil Aviation Authority and allocated a Quota Count (QC) number. The more noise it makes the higher the QC number. The very quietest aircraft are exempt. The noisier types (ie those with the highest numbers) cannot be scheduled to operate in the Night Quota period. Those wth the smaller numbers (ie the quieter ones) can be scheduled to operate but each time they fly in or fly out in this period the amount of QC points they have been allocated must be subtracted from an overall limit on points which may be used in a season. So for example an aircraft which is QC1 when arriving will use up 1 point from the overall limit. Aircraft may have different QC numbers for when they are arriving and when they are departing, depending on the amount of noise they make for each."

[blair21088]

So while the airport is open, noise restrictions like this are nto part of the game and it would be pointless to add them in for just 1 airport.