Recent situations of flight operation and noise exposure observed by the pilot noise monitors at Noi Bai International Airport in Vietnam

Abstract

This paper introduces the result of data analysis on recent situations of aircraft operation and noise exposure at Noi Bai International Airport (NIA), using observations by the pilot noise monitoring equipment installed in 2019 under a cooperation project on airport environment preservation and aircraft noise monitoring in Vietnam. The results of the noise monitoring over the period from 2019 to 2023 reflect the significant changes in aircraft operation at NIA due to the pandemic of COVID-19. Noise exposure decreased after the epidemic outbreak, with a significant drop at the time when the government ordered travel restrictions, and gradually recovered under a new normal context. The result of data analysis suggests the degree of change in the sound environment in the vicinity of NIA under the different scenarios of aircraft operation. It also provides us with the information necessary to create noise prediction maps. The level of noise exposure observed at each monitoring station was largely in line with the calculated noise levels. Besides, analysis of aircraft operation and noise exposure situations by period revealed that the level of noise exposure varies with the time of day. Additionally, the analysis raises concerns about the impact of nighttime noise, which may disrupt the sleep of residents living near the NIA.