Description

There’s a lot of chatter around about airspace around Lakenheath being closed, as well as heightened military activity. I thought I’d try and add some substance to it.

First of all, the airspace in question is quiet. It’s probably almost the quietest airspace in the UK. I’ve attached an image which shows (faint blue lines) where most if not all air traffic is routed in the southern half of the UK. This doesn’t show arrival and departure procedures, however as the East of England doesn’t have an airport of notable size, it’s not that important.

Military traffic - this isn’t my bag, however military traffic has increased significantly this decade due to, well, obvious reasons.

Weather - yes it’s been foggy in parts of the UK. Yes this is absolutely normal. Yes it disrupts air traffic almost every time. Yes aircraft are equipped to land in low visibility, however most airlines will require the crew to perform a go-around if the runway is not visible at a defined minimum altitude. After several attempts of landing, a divert may be required. Again, perfectly normal for this time of year.

I hope this is useful in dispelling some of the misinformation and excitement around what’s currently going on. I want aliens as much as the next guy, but let’s stick to the facts and data.