Survey of aircraft noise abatement strategies in the US

Aircraft noise is generally regarded as the most annoying source of environmental noise and is the most common source of complaints raised by residents living in the vicinity of airports. Many different types of abatement measures can be utilized by airports to reduce the noise impact, but the manner of their implementation can vary between airports. To assess how noise control strategies are implemented across the United States (US), a national survey of noise abatement strategies was conducted. The paper provides a summary of this survey and reports the noise control approaches at 42 different airports across the US. The survey considered general aspects of noise control, as well as specific questions related to noise abatement procedures, noise limits and curfews. Participants were also asked their opinion on the impact of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Balanced Approach, which is the ICAO recommended framework to address aircraft noise. Although just a snapshot of activities across the US is presented, results indicate that a wide array of noise abatement procedures is being implemented. Results also suggest that the ICAO Balanced Approach has yet to be fully embraced in the US, with a large proportion of respondents reporting that they are not familiar with this approach.