A FIFE MSP has called on Edinburgh Airport to halt its flight path proposals as she said noise level predictions could be much louder than claimed during the consultation.

Annabelle Ewing aired her concerns to airport chief Gordon Dewar after a meeting with North Queensferry Community Council.

“I have asked Mr Dewar to release full details of Edinburgh Airport’s consideration of flight path options further east over the Forth to which he referred in an earlier letter to me and to provide an explanation as to why exactly those options purportedly failed to meet the requirements being applied,” she said.

“I have also asked him to set out specifically what these requirements are and to provide further detail on issues relating to military airspace.

"I understand that the noise maps forming the basis of the consideration of various routes are based on noise measurements obtained at Gatwick airport without any local calibration having been made.

“Indeed, I further understand that the levels of noise actually recorded are much higher than those presented in the consultation documentation.

"It would appear, therefore, that the basic premises employed in considering flight path options are invalid which would surely call into question the validity of the entire consultation process.”

A request for trial flights to gauge noise levels was also brought up at a meeting between Dunfermline and West Fife MP Douglas Chapman and the CAA.

He said it was “very disappointing” this wasn’t done and that there were no “flying restrictions” stopping planes from flying further into the Firth of Forth before turning, with reduced noise for West Fife communities.

Mr Chapman said: “That however is not the airport proposal, but it could have been and now they’re locked into an unnecessary conflict with communities in my constituency whose residents simply seek a bit of peace and quiet from aircraft noise.”

A spokesman for Edinburgh Airport said the consultation was complete and they had been delighted with the response, adding: “We’re currently assessing what we have learned against our proposals.

"The consultation is independently audited and will be ultimately assessed by the CAA. The independent study into the impacts of our proposals forms part of the consultation material and has been available throughout the process.

"Regarding the issue of noise modelling – this was contained in the consultation material and discussed widely at the public meetings. The process asks us to use CAA approved data to forecast noise. We comply fully with the air space change process.”