“QUIETER” planes won’t be introduced for Southend Airport’s controversial night flights this year, but bosses are making “good progress” in the bid to reduce disruption for neighbours.

The Amazon night flights, which launched in late 2019, have caused endless headaches for residents under the flight path, with people saying their sleep patterns are ruined.

Glyn Jones, CEO of Southend Airport, stated in July that negotiations were under way with Amazon to see quieter planes used.

However, the airport has confirmed the quieter planes are a “long term objective” and it is on track with its priorities for this year, including establishing a community engagement plan.

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Jon Fuller, co-ordinator at the south east Essex Friends of the Earth campaign group, said: “People get really upset about the extreme noise.

“We were told that the flights would be using the quietest aircraft. That obviously isn’t the case.

“The planes are really loud and noisy. There’s a lot of impact that the noise can cause.

“It affects sleeping patterns, which impacts their physical health. And that’s before you get to the carbon dioxide emissions.”

The airport has permission for 120 night flights per month, but insists the number of flights is regularly much lower.

A spokesman from Southend Airport, said: “We announced a long-term environmental action plan to deliver a sustainable airport that benefits the community.

“That plan included an objective to work towards a phase out of aircrafts with a noise profile over 85dceibels.

“We will continue to work toward that objective over time.

“Our published priorities for 2021 are to establish a constructive community engagement plan, establish a noise forum following best practice guidance from ICANN, adopt the ICAO 9829 balanced approach as the basis for noise planning and build on our noise abatement operational procedures. We are making good progress toward our 2021 priorities.

“To date, members of the independent community noise forum have now been confirmed, an independent chair has been appointed and regular meetings are scheduled. That forum will discuss key topics to be fed back to the airport.”