Air Quality Monitoring

All aircraft operating into or out of Farnborough Airport are classified as International Civil Aviation (ICAO) Chapter 3 Aircraft, or above.

While this classification relates predominantly to noise emissions from engines, it can be taken as a measure of efficiency of the engine. Higher technological specifications of aircraft engines subject to regular routine maintenance produce fewer exhaust emissions.

The Airport has direct control over emissions produced while aircraft are taxiing and on the Airport.

Emissions at this level do have the potential to affect local air quality. The noise abatement procedures limit ground running of aircraft engines and therefore reduce ground level exhaust emissions.

Nitrogen Oxides are recommended as indicator pollutants for aircraft exhaust emissions. Nitrogen Oxides are monitored at the Airport using two methods, located at a total of thirteen monitoring positions.

Passive diffusion tubes are located at all thirteen monitoring sites. These measure the concentration of gases through the chemical change produced in chemical reagents caused by contact with the required gas as it is present in the atmosphere.

The second monitoring method used is that of active sampling; samples of air are pumped into an analysis chamber, producing results at 15 minute sample averages.

Farnborough air quality monitoring sites can be found here [ADD LINK]

No results of air quality sampling outside those expected for “urban background”* locations have been recorded so far.

As yet, no trends indicate any discernible impact on local air quality by the Airport’s activities have been observed. Monitoring activities in this area are ongoing.

* As defined by the National Air Quality Strategy 2000