RESIDENTS living near Southampton Airport are demanding action after a huge rise in the number of complaints about aircraft noise.

Eastleigh Borough Council, which is taking complaints nearly every day, says the problem has increased dramatically since the introduction of low-cost Flybe flights.

But the airline have denied any responsibility with a firm "It's nothing to do with us" statement.

People living in areas such as Bitterne Park in Southampton claim the problem is down to planes flying along noisy flight paths in and out of the airport.

They say pilots are failing to stick to special noise preferential routes set up several years ago between residents, the council and the Civil Aviation Authority.

Mary Finch, of the Airport Pressure Group and Bitterne Park Residents Association, said: "The planes are supposed to reach 500 feet and turn right. A lot of them don't.

"They go up the hill and any other way but the way they're supposed to.

"We want the council to back us and encourage the airport to once again respect the flight controls."

Ian Taylor, general manager of market development for Flybe, said: "Our pilots follow the route given to them by the airport and air traffic control. It's completely out of the airline's hands."

Eastleigh Borough Council estimated it had received more than a hundred complaints in the last few months. A spokesman said: "There has been a noticeable increase in the number of complaints received by the council about aircraft noise since Flybe started operating from the airport. From the complaints received the council has concerns that noise preferential routes may not be adhered to by all pilots.

"We have raised the issue with the British Airports Authority, who are considering possible measures to reduce the number of complaints."

A spokeswoman for Southampton Airport, which last week was voted Europe's top airport in a travel magazine survey, said the number of planes landing and taking off had risen from 2,638 in August 2002 to 3,273 in the same month of this year.

David Cumming, managing director of Southampton Airport, said: "We are keen to listen to people's concerns and we will take action wherever possible."