Originally Posted by
konagirl2
It's a bit more complicated than a strict curfew, at least at LHR and I expect at AMS too. A limited number of flights can land during curfew hours, for example for diversions. There are limits on numbers until 6 am and there are limits/penalties on noisier aircraft types until 6 am and 7 am. It makes sense for ATC, airport operations and the operating airlines to have a flights depart late enough and have a planned air speed to not be circling, for fuel efficiency as well as simplifying queuing. LHR give quite a lot of detail:
https://www.heathrow.com/noise/heath.../night-flights
This makes sense. There must be a certain number that can come in at a particular hour and we would have thrown things off. If you landed on a runway at AMS that was around civilization instead of the one that requires a taxi from what seems like Rotterdam, I'd understand it even more
Yeah, glad I wasn't in J. Had a seat open next to me in coach and that was grand. A good couple days to be crossing the pond!