Noise Footprint of Electric Aviation at Regional Airports: A Case Study of VNY

Abstract

Following an increased interest in aviation decarbonization, electric aircraft - including conventional fixed-wing and electric Vertical Take-Off & Landing aircraft (eVTOLs) - are approaching certification. While several studies and eVTOL manufacturers claim noise pollution reduction near airports to be a significant benefit of replacing existing aircraft with electric aircraft, there is little research quantifying this suggested benefit. This study develops a method for quantifying noise footprint benefits of electric aviation at regional airports. The method is applied to Van Nuys airport (VNY) in the Los Angeles Basin by simulating noise levels in a 7-mile radius around the airport and measuring the difference in total area affected by high noise levels (> 55dB as set by the FAA) for three scenarios: the base case, 20% electric aircraft, and 50% electric aircraft. The proposed method can be applied to other regional airports to compute their noise footprint. Understanding the noise footprint of airport operations is critical for land use zoning of the surrounding area and hence, sustainable development of community infrastructure and regional air mobility. Such noise simulations can also be used to guide the development of novel methods of urban and regional air mobility. In both the 20% and 50% electrification scenarios, the VNY noise analysis results show the following: (a) the number of highly annoyed individuals decreased by 7.42% and 14.91% respectively; (b) the areas with high Day-Night Level (DNL) are reduced; (c) the percentage of noise reduction is larger in areas with high base case DNL above 65 dB; and (d) the presence of a large disparity in DNL between Disadvantaged Communities (DACs) and non-DACs in five neighborhoods.