THE deafening roar of aircraft landing in Southampton could become a bit quieter for Hampshire residents as part of major plans to modernise the UK's airspace.

Taking effect from tomorrow, flights landing at Southampton Airport will spend less time over land and more time over the Solent as part of the new plans.

They are part of the Hampshire-based air navigation service NATS' new London Airspace Management Programme (LAMP).

The organisation says it will deliver more efficient flights and cause less damage to the environment as well as reducing noise for thousands of residents across the South and South East.

Most of the plans will affect London airports, including a new "point merge" arrival system where aircraft landing at London City Airport will take routes over the sea instead of land.

There will also be a change to routes for aircraft leaving Stansted to the south, which will now move eastward instead.

And Southampton is one of the airports that will also be affected, as well as Bournemouth and Farnborough.

A NATS spokesman said: "There will be a reduction in noise from lower level flights in the Southampton and Bournemouth area by re-routeing arrivals away from the area around Goodwood, which will keep aircraft over the Solent for longer and therefore reducing the amount of time over land for these arrivals."