The Ministry of Transport has opened the public consultation period for the future Aeronautical Charter of Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas Airport, a process that residents and local councils in northern Madrid consider crucial for reviewing flight paths and reducing noise pollution.
The Ministry of Transport is keeping the public consultation for the new Aeronautical Charter of Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas Airport open, a document that will regulate the operational procedures of air traffic, including the departure and arrival routes of aircraft. For thousands of residents in Alcobendas and San Sebastián de los Reyes, this review represents an opportunity to address a problem they have faced for years: the constant noise of planes flying over their homes.
Concerns have intensified in recent times. Residents of urbanisations such as La Moraleja, El Soto, Fuente del Fresno, Club de Campo, La Granjilla, or Ciudalcampo report that overflights begin at six in the morning and occur with a frequency much higher than a few years ago. They explain that the acoustic impact affects their quality of life and rest, especially during the summer months when windows are left open.
Complaints are not new. La Mirada Norte has collected the demands of neighbourhood associations and local councils in the area for years. In Alcobendas, residents have repeatedly requested a modification of flight paths to move planes away from residential areas. In San Sebastián de los Reyes, discontent grew after the modification of some departure procedures from the airport in 2022, which, according to residents, worsened the situation.
The debate transcends the political sphere. Different parties have supported residents' demands over the years. When the People's Party was in opposition in San Sebastián de los Reyes, it already advocated the need to review flight paths. Now, with the PP leading the local government, the demands have been reinforced by claims from Más Madrid, which calls for a review of the changes made in 2022, and from Izquierda Independiente, which has also called for measures to reduce acoustic impact. This consensus shows that concern over overflights is a cross-cutting demand, not tied to a single political position.
The new Aeronautical Charter is the instrument that will regulate, among other aspects, noise management and the trajectories of aircraft in the Barajas area. Therefore, the public consultation opened by the Ministry is considered a key moment for administrations, associations, and citizens to present proposals before the regulations are definitively approved.
So far, AENA and ENAIRE have defended that flight routes respond to operational safety criteria and that the configuration of the runways depends on factors such as weather conditions and wind direction. The airport manager has a network of permanent noise measurement stations in locations such as La Moraleja, San Sebastián de los Reyes, Fuente del Fresno, La Granjilla, or Ciudalcampo, whose data can be publicly consulted through the SIRMA system. However, residents believe that these measurements do not reflect the reality they endure.
As the processing of the new regulations continues, many residents claim that this summer they are once again perceiving an increase in overflights during the early hours of the day. The situation keeps alive a debate that has affected much of northern Madrid for years and that now, with the public consultation underway, could find a way to seek solutions.
The councils of Alcobendas and San Sebastián de los Reyes have announced that they will submit joint claims to request a review of the routes that minimises the acoustic impact on the populations. Additionally, neighbourhood associations have called on citizens to participate in the public consultation and make their voices heard.
The deadline for submitting claims will remain open for the coming weeks. Interested parties can access the documentation through the Ministry of Transport's website and submit their proposals electronically. For many residents, this is the opportunity to achieve real change in their daily lives.
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