A SIX-month trial aimed at clipping the wings of noisy aircraft has swung into action at Southampton International Airport.

Alternative take-off and landing procedures have been introduced in a bid to see if there is a reduction in noise levels.

And if the move stems the flow of complaints from local residents, the silence will be golden for the airport which has been in the firing line in recent months in the wake of soaraway passenger figures.

The trial will run until the end of September and throughout the period an independent acoustics specialist will be analysing data collected from six noise monitors stationed underneath the main arrival and departure routes.

Feedback from local people will also be reviewed.

New arrangements swung into action on April 1 but chairman of the Airport Pressure Group, Mary Finch, said so far the jury was still out.

She told the Daily Echo: "The trial has got to be a good thing. I feel that because of the tremendous amount of complaints that they received last year they felt they had to do something.

"This is what they have come up with and, hopefully, it will make a difference. But the jury is still out and only time will tell."

However, Mrs Finch urged residents to keep a log of noise incidents - good or bad - during the six-month trial period.

In common with many commercial airports across the UK and Europe, aircraft using Southampton fly specially agreed routes - known as noise preferred routeings - on arrival and departure.

The routes, agreed with Eastleigh Borough Council and reviewed by the Airport Consultative Committee, have been in place since 1996.

But, now, a special technical working group comprising of Eastleigh and Southampton council representatives, airlines, members of the airport consultative committee and National Air Traffic Services, has come up with changes.

From now until June all aircraft above a defined weight will be instructed to climb to a greater height before starting to level off or turn away from runway headings. Arrivals will also be instructed to turn on to the main approach glide slope further from the airport.

Potential benefits include increased height of flights over some residential areas and turns which avoid the more densely populated areas wherever possible.

The second phase of the trial will see aircraft revert back to the original noise preferred routes for a three-month period from July to September.

Southampton Airport managing director David Cumming said: "We have been working hard in partnership with our local community to find the best ways to minimise aircraft noise.

"We have taken this step to trial possible procedural changes to the routes that aircraft use to fly in and out of Southampton Airport. It is hoped that these changes may bring improvements to local people."

He added: "We are committed to minimising the impact of our growing business on people living close by and to continue to be a good neighbour."