The expansion plans of a private jet hub, frequently favored by the elite, have sparked outrage among local residents, who are upset about a proposed increase in weekend flights.

Situated in Hampshire, Farnborough Airport stands accused of prioritizing the desires of billionaires over those living beneath its flight paths. The airport seeks permission to raise its annual weekend and bank holiday flights from 8,900 to 13,500.

Renowned as one of the busiest private jet airports across Europe, Farnborough has hosted the likes of Tom Cruise, Kim Kardashian, Robbie Williams, Cher, and Steven Spielberg.

Colin Shearn, who initiated the Farnborough Noise Group six years ago, explained that weekend flight activity already surges as affluent individuals head to Mediterranean retreats.

“It’s astounding,” remarked Colin, 64. “People charter private jets for a day trip to Nice, enjoy a few hours at the beach, and then return to the airport, where a helicopter whisks them away to London.”

He further described how a pink Rolls Royce often transports celebrities directly to their waiting aircraft.

‘You even have private jets which land here full of dogs.’

One pilot, who calls himself gt.wings on Instagram, posted in February of last year how he had just landed a private craft full of pooches.

He wrote: ‘Last landing in Farnborough (London), UK in the notorious Gulfstream G-IV with the mighty @pilotjosh, filled with dogs and puppies from @k9jets_ in the early morning of a typical British breakfast weather.’

Colin Shearn (pictured) founded the Farnborough Noise Group six years ago

Farnborough Airport (pictured) is already one of the busiest private jet airports in Europe

It has been accused of putting the needs of billionaires ahead of those living in its flight path

British K9 Jets is the world’s first pet-dedicated pay-per-seat private service.

Colin added: ‘I got involved in all of this from an environmental perspective, because of the small number of people who are causing huge amounts of emissions.’

Campaigners say that while businesses still use the airport, it is increasingly becoming a VIP hub.

Demonstrations regularly take place outside the airport, including one involving Greta Thunberg in January of last year.

Sushil Rajbhandari, 54, moved to Farnborough six months ago and says his first summer was blighted by relentless waves of private jets going directly over his garden.

‘Honestly, if you think you’ve seen it today, wait until the summer. We couldn’t believe it.

‘The first time it happened I was scared, I had had no idea just how low the larger private planes would be flying.

‘It is almost non-stop in the summer, you can’t enjoy time in the garden, and it goes on until late.

Residents hold banners to protest the airport’s request for increased flight numbers

It wants to increase its weekend and bank holiday flight numbers from 8,900 per year to 13,500

Sushil Rajbhandari (pictured), 54, moved to Farnborough six months ago 

He said his first summer was blighted by relentless waves of private jets going over his garden

‘You get lots of Indian billionaires and Saudis.

‘My friends were round in the garden and taking pictures but for us, it is no fun.

‘The company I work for flies out of the airport as a business, but these planes I’m talking about are not business planes – they’re private for the extremely wealthy and it’s not fair on residents.’

Farnborough attracted about 30,000 flights last year out of a 50,000 flight cap, but weekend and bank holiday journeys were close to the maximum allowed.

Increasing the weekend flights would mean Farnborough could carry more flights without breaching its overall limit.

Mona Cowie, 64, who also lives near the flight path, said: ‘I can see them all the time – these posh little planes. Whoops – there goes another super rich person. It’s all the time.

‘They bring nothing to the local economy apart from dust and dirt, which we inhale. You can smell the fuel all the time.

‘What’s the little fella called? Ah yeah, Tom Cruise, he’s used it before.’

Mona Cowie (pictured), 64, argued that the billionaires ‘bring nothing to the local economy’

Mona, who lives near the flight path, said: ‘You can smell the fuel all the time’

Map showing the Farnborough area in the scope of the planning application

Her friend Irene Longman, 72, agreed, adding: ‘If this expansion gets ahead it will just get worse for us all.

‘When I moved here years ago I could see the lights of Aldershot. Now, because of the light pollution from the airport – which has increased hugely in size – all I can see is the airport’s glow.

‘Money has taken over, plain and simple.’

For Matthew Evans, being so close to the airport comes with one small perk – he gets his trees cut for free.

The 46-year-old says airport contractors come to trim the tall trees in his back garden once per year because they are in the flight path.

‘But if the changes go ahead this could be a problem for people, I’d be concerned about house prices potentially going down,’ he said.

Peter Jennings, 70, moved to his home in the flightpath in 1986.

‘It used to be a weekend gliding club – now it’s a weekend VIP club,’ he said.

A tree in the garden of Matthew Evans,46, who says an airport contractor cuts them for free

Peter Jennings (pictured), 70, moved to his home in the flightpath in 1986

‘I think I’ve become desensitised to it to be honest, I don’t hear it as much as I used to. ‘But I’m concerned about house prices if the plans do go ahead.

‘The noise tends to come in waves, it will be quiet for a while and then suddenly more frequent.’

A Farnborough Airport spokesperson said leisure flights were ‘very much in the minority’, adding that 80 per cent of them are directly or indirectly related to business use.

‘Our planning application seeks to address the long-term demand for these flights as they become increasingly displaced from traditional commercial passenger airports and as they themselves become increasingly capacity constrained,’ they said.

‘There is no evidence to suggest that the split between business and leisure flights is any different on non-weekdays compared to weekdays, and given the ultra-premium nature of such flights, it is logical and sensible to assume that leisure travellers who use such flights are not constrained to the rigidity of a traditional 5 day working week.’

Farnborough Airport is owned Macquarie, the Australian investment firm best known for its troubled ownership of Thames Water between 2006 and 2017.

While the airport maintains leisure flights are few and far between, private jet firms actively advertise their use of Farnborough.

Luna Jets, a leading European private jet charter broker headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, says on its website: ‘Travelling from Nice, France, situated on the French Riviera, to the quaint village of Farnborough, situated less than a half hour from London, is made much more convenient via private jet.’

Farnborough Airport is owned Macquarie, the Australian investment firm best known for its troubled ownership of Thames Water between 2006 and 2017

A limousine is trashed in protest against increased flight numbers at Farnborough Airport

Thunder, another private jet firm, also boasts of the Farnborough to Nice connection.

The Mail witnessed a hot spell of flights on Friday.

After a quiet morning, a rush hour hit at around 2pm with dozens of private planes taking off and landing.

The seven-seaters could barely be heard but the 20 to 30 seaters were unmistakeable.

‘I think that one was a 30-seater,’ said Sushil, as a plane roared over his back garden coming in to land.

‘That is the biggest one I have ever seen, actually,’ he added, before a 20-seater jetted over his head just minutes later.

‘You see? Come back in the summer, then you’ll really understand.’