Edinburgh Airport flight path consultation attracts over 5,000 responses
The process was launched in June, and closed on Monday.
Edinburgh Airport has received more than 5,000 responses to its consultation on altering flight paths.
Bosses there launched the call for views on its airspace change programme'' in June this year and the process closed on Monday.
Airport bosses have revealed the consultation attracted more than 5,000 feedback responses in the three-and-a-half months since the process began.
They also said the consultation website had been viewed about 80,000 times .
They stressed no changes can be made to existing flight paths until a further stage of consultation, proposing specific routes, is completed and the plans approved by the Civil Aviation Authority.
Gordon Robertson, the airport's director of communications, described the level of feedback as excellent'' and said he acknowledges some people havereal concerns'' about flight path changes.
He said: Our data analysis team are working on delivering a detailed report on the first stage of our public consultation which will show detail on sentiment and the geographical spread of the feedback responses.
Crucially, the responses we received will also help us map the design of the proposals that we put forward for the second stage of the consultation - set to begin early in 2017.
We recognise that some people have very real concerns. The aim of the consultation process is to allow us to grow to meet the ever-increasing demand on our runway at peak times while minimising disruption on the ground.''
The proposed implementation of new flight paths would also coincide with the use of slicker RNAV navigation technology, which will allow the airport to increase the number of aircraft which can take off and land.
Earlier this month, the airport apologised after almost 200 responses to their consultation were lost.
Officials extended the consultation's closing date by one week, making the closing date the end of Monday September 19.