Realizing a 21st Century Noise Policy

Abstract

Aviation noise impacts affect the health and quality of life of communities nationwide. The FAA's noise policy, last updated in the 1970s, uses a single decision-making metric (DNL), to determine the significance of noise impacts caused by aircraft operations. The Neighborhood Environmental Survey (NES), released in 2021, shows that many more people are impacted by aircraft noise and at levels far below 65 dB DNL than previously thought. The current noise policy does not reflect the 21st century airspace environment, including the consequences of NextGen and the tremendous growth in air traffic. An important improvement to realize an up-to-date noise policy is to reflect the lived experience of impacted communities more accurately. This paper will cover how communities experience aircraft noise in two separate noise exposure environments both near and away from airports, which practices are issues and most concerning to communities, what metrics more accurately evaluate impacts, and how a more community-centric approach provides a better representation of the aviation noise experienced by people, which is fundamental to operating a National Airspace System that works for all.