Airport bosses are being warned that further breaches of night-flight rules will not be tolerated.

Leeds planners tonight agreed to formally warn Leeds-Bradford International Airport (LBIA) after considering a report which detailed 32 incidents over the past year when aircraft have departed or landed after the agreed evening deadline.

The vast majority involved flights to Islamabad run by Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) and its predecessor Shaheen Airlines.

Leeds Plans Panel West is also demanding a firm timetable for the measures which the airport, with PIA, has promised to take to try to tackle the problem.

Councillor Elizabeth Nash said: “It really needs quieter aircraft, and we really do have to be tough.”

Councillor Jamie Matthews said: “I think it’s important that we threaten and, if necessary, take action.”

But principal planning officer Martin Sellens, recommending a prudent approach, said: “The airport has worked hard with the airline to try to get earlier departure times and use quieter aircraft.

“Given the steps that have already been taken my feeling is we should not take action at the moment but should have the threat to take action if things do not considerably improve.

“That is why we should formally write to say it’s an issue we need to see resolved.”

Panel chairman Councillor Colin Campbell (Lib Dem, Otley and Yeadon) said: “The airport have been working on this but there seems to be a problem with this particular company, which I would say the airport needs some support with.

“If you look at the departures in December only a couple breached the 11pm ‘deadline’ but there wasn’t much consistency and there was a range of times in the evening, within two to three hours, when the aircraft took off.

“I’m happy for us to write to the airport saying we appreciate what you’re trying to do but, if it happens again then we will take action against you.

“In regards to the noise reduction proposals we need to be given more details about how they are going to be implemented, and we should ask for updates on the Noise Reduction Plan should be forwarded to us.”

The panel will be given an update report on the issue in six months.