How aviation impact data is becoming a vital part of modern property due diligence and the business bringing it to the surface.
In an era where due diligence is increasingly data-driven, one element has remained largely under examined – the sky above.
While conveyancers have long checked for flood zones and planning permissions, and surveyors scrutinise everything from insulation to subsidence, the impact of aircraft noise and ‘flight blight’ has often flown under the radar.
As air travel bounces back strongly from Covid and airports up and down the country begin to expand their operations, that’s starting to change and there is growing recognition of the potential cost to people’s health, wellbeing and house value.
A Business Born from Disruption
My Flight Path, a UK-based data science company, provides flight path impact assessments to homeowners, buyers, and now surveyors.
But the company didn’t emerge from a traditional tech incubator or property consultancy, but was instead born out of a combination of aviation expertise and real-world frustration.
Jono Oates, Founder of My Flight Path, spent many years working in the aviation industry and is also a property investor, but was caught out by ‘flight blight’ shortly after moving into a new home many miles from any airport.
“It was a real wake-up call. You do all the usual checks before buying a home, but noise from aircraft simply wasn’t on the radar. I realised if someone with my background could be blindsided, then thousands of homebuyers and surveyors were missing a vital piece of the picture.”
That personal experience inspired the creation of software that generates a ‘Flight Blight Rating’ for every property in the UK, supported by comprehensive ‘Flight Blight Reports’- data-rich documents that provide a clear picture of a property’s exposure to aircraft noise and aviation activity.
Launched in 2023, My Flight Path now analyses more than 100 million aviation datapoints each year and benchmarks properties against 190 million around the world, delivering valuable context for every assessment. The mission is simple: to help people make better property decisions by factoring in what’s happening in the sky as well as on the ground.
So, What’s in a Flight Blight Report?
Surveyors will find familiar features in a My Flight Path Report, including a summary page, traffic-light risk scores, supporting datasets, and clear recommendations.. But the information is unique.
The headline feature is in the Flight Blight Rating – a complex algorithm that processes 100 million aviation data points that stretch back 12 months and include volume of aircraft which have flown within a two mile radius over this property during the past 12 months, at an altitude of 15,000 feet or less. It also incorporates data relating to the aircraft type and their assumed noise profile at ground level.
-
This data is then correlated against the air traffic over every other property in the UK and a rating is produced which ranges from 0 to 100, broken down into six colour coded categories ranging from minor to critical, that allows surveyors to instantly understand the aviation impact. For example, a score of 13 indicates that a property is rated as being in the worst 13% of properties in the country for ‘flight blight’.
In addition, the Flight Blight Report provides detailed analysis and information relating to:
- Volume and altitude of aircraft
- Aircraft type (11 aircraft types assessed, including commercial, general aviation, military and helicopters)
- Daily and hourly aircraft impact
- Associated decibel exposure
- Health-based evidence
- Noise sensitivity indexing
- Recommendations for house-buyers
Why This Matters to Surveyors
Surveyors are increasingly expected to act not just as building inspectors, but as risk communicators. Whether valuing for lenders, advising buyers, or carrying out Level 2 of Level 3 surveys, there’s growing pressure to anticipate concerns that clients may raise later – or worse, discover too late.
“We see a lot of missed content in reports.” Says Jonathan.
“Buyers move in in February, and then come August realise there are 150 flights a day overhead and suddenly there’s buyers remorse or even legal fallout. By giving surveyors a clear rating they can include or refer to, we reduce risk and increase the value of the advice being given.
“If house buyers see the Flight Blight Rating and then want to purchase peace of mind in the form of the Flight Blight Report, then we can provide that to surveyors quickly.”
Surveyors can embed the rating directly into valuation rationale or supplementary notes, providing evidence-based context for anything from marketability to specific buyer preferences.
My Flight Path also flags upcoming airport expansion developments occurring up and down the country, such as Heathrow, Luton or Edinburgh, which could affect long-term desirability – ideal for investment-focused clients or due diligence reports. As airports firm up their plans, My Flight Path will also be able to provide a future Flight Blight Rating for properties.
Accuracy, Trust, and Use in Practice
Of course, environmental data comes with responsibility. My Flight Path’s reports are based on verified flight path data, aircraft transponder logs, and modelling from public sources like EUROCONTROL, NATS, and DEFRA. This helps reduce false positives and ensures data can be understood and defended if questioned.
Real-world use cases include:
- A West London buyer renegotiating purchase price after discovering 180 flights/day
- A Yorkshire couple avoiding a location which experienced significant military over-flight
- A developer using reports to identify quieter plots
- A Manchester-based family seeking reassurance about night-flights
- A surveyor referencing risk in a report for a nervous first-time buyer
“We’re not trying to scare buyers off. We’re using technological innovation to bring clarity and context, helping people understand risk and comfort while giving professionals a competitive advantage in protecting their service quality and fulfilling their duty of care.”
What’s Next for Environmental Due Diligence?
Aviation impact is set to increase significantly in the UK over the next decade. Aggressive airport expansion up and down the country will see more flights and the UK’s Future Airspace Strategy will reshape the nation’s flight paths. Collectively, this means that today’s quiet suburb could become tomorrow’s overhead corridor and that makes forward-facing data more relevant than ever.
Jono sees flight data sitting alongside flood risk, EPCs, and planning as part of the “environmental due diligence pack” every buyer and valuer should have.
Final Approach: A Tool for the Toolkit
My Flight Path adds a new layer of intelligence to the surveyor’s workflow – one that captures what’s often overlooked: the skies above. By making aviation impact visible and quantifiable, it enables professionals to deliver more complete, context-rich advice to clients.
For surveyors, it offers a chance to differentiate, reduce post-sale surprises, and demonstrate diligence that goes beyond the basics. As a supplementary report, it enhances both compliance and client trust.
In a profession increasingly defined by data, transparency, and environmental awareness, My Flight Path affirms a simple truth: effective due diligence means understanding not just what surrounds a property – but what flies over it.
“Buyers today want clarity, not just checkboxes. Surveyors are in a great position to deliver that.”
Discover More
To learn more about how My Flight Path can enhance your reports, click here.
Survey Booker customers can explore exclusive offers and benefits available to you here
Ignite Growth with the New Referrer Mobile App
Introducing the Survey Booker Referrer Mobile App, a faster and more convenient way for referral partners to submit new opportunities, track progress and stay informed on the go. Available on iOS and Android, the app helps surveying firms create a more connected referral experience.
Compliance Is Not Quality (And Quality Is Not Compliance)- Projekt3
Compliance sets the baseline, but does it prove quality? Kate Charrington of Projekt3 explores the important distinction between the two, and why surveying firms need to evidence both.
Sprift: The Evidence Behind Every Defensible Valuation
What evidence would support your valuation if it were challenged months or years later? Sprift explores the market intelligence behind defensible valuations and the key evidence surveyors should keep on file.
From Conflict Checks to Conflict Management
Conflict checks are only the starting point. This article explores why effective conflict management requires ongoing awareness, clear processes and good judgement throughout the surveying instruction.
Survey Booker Powers Over 50% of the Firms Featured in a Konnect You Top 10
Six of the ten surveying firms featured in a recently published Konnect You Top 10 use Survey Booker. We explore what that milestone says about the operational foundations supporting successful surveying practices.
When Running a Surveying Practice Gets in the Way
When running a surveying practice starts taking time away from surveying itself, something needs to change. This article explores how smarter systems and processes can reduce admin and create more time for the work that really matters.