Airport Noise Research Articles

Re-surging airport noise: understanding aircraft noise dynamics during and after the COVID-19 pandemic at Dublin airport

This paper explores the dynamics of aircraft noise patterns, examining the transformative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on flight numbers and noise contours during the years 2021, 2022, and 2023 at a European airport. Focused on both peak and low flight months, the study explores how the aviation landscape experienced shifts during the pandemic and post-pandemic scenarios. As a transport hub for an island nation Dublin Airport is a key piece of national infrastructure but as the global travel restrictions took effect, the airport witnessed a substantial reduction in flight numbers, resulting in a notable decrease in airport noise and subsequent lower population exposure to environmental noise. This paper analyzes the trends in noise contours and flight frequencies during this period, shedding light on the immediate effects of the pandemic on aviation-related noise. Furthermore, as the restrictions gradually lifted, the study investigates the extent to which flight numbers and associated noise contours rebounded in the post-pandemic era. This comprehensive examination provides insights into the evolving environmental soundscape, capturing not only the changes during the pandemic but also the subsequent rise in flight numbers. The potential impact on societal expectations of aircraft noise is discussed.

The future of airport noise: a comprehensive analysis of population exposure at Dublin airport 2023 to 2030

There are conflicting trends in the impact of aircraft noise as increased air traffic is offset by advancements in low noise aircraft technology. This paper considers the case of Dublin Airport and projects the noise impact of operations over the timeline to 2030. The airport projects an (Average Annual Growth Rate) of 1.2 %, translating to an estimated rise in annual air traffic movements from over 212736 flights in 2023 to around 244635 flights in 2030. This estimated increase poses not only logistical challenges for airports but also an escalation in noise pollution in the surrounding areas. The most significant challenge in predicting future airport noise exposure lies in the shifts in aircraft fleet distribution and the adoption of technology in newer generations of aircraft. This paper evaluates the most likely combination of fleet distribution and technology uptake. In 2023, the noise footprint is projected to affect a population of approximately 105762 people with Lden ≥ 55 dB. By 2030, this exposure increases to 168267 people. The increase in air traffic numbers also leads to a notable increase in nighttime flights, bringing nighttime noise exposure Ln ≥ 50 dB from 127720 in 2023 to 189376 in 2030.

Innovative silencer for window air inlets

This presentation introduces an innovative window air inlets silencer. The product is intended for exterior installation, tailored to match the standard dimensions of window air inlets, specifically the slot through the window. It is designed to complement internal window air inlet equipment. The silencer's design encompasses multiple functionalities. The main one is reducing external noise transmission (such as traffic, airport, and city center noise) from outside to inside the room equipped with the air inlet. Additionally, it minimally impacts air flow, ensures resistance to water and sunlight, offers washability for accumulated dust, and emphasizes aesthetics compared to other existing silencers. The development of the silencer involves a comprehensive approach, incorporating numerical simulations, optimizations, prototypes, and standard experimental tests. The performance of the developed silencer is compared with similar products already available in the market.

Housing prices, airport noise and an unforeseeable event of silence

To evaluate the causal impact of noise exposure on housing prices, we exploit a sudden and massive reduction in flight traffic that occurred with the onset of the COVID-19 measures in Germany. Comparing locations differently exposed to pre- pandemic noise with a difference-in-difference approach, we detect a 2.4% increase in prices for apartments that experienced a noise reduction. Disentangling temporal dynamics, we find a peak effect in mid-2021 (up to 6%), with the effect persisting until 2023, albeit at a lower magnitude. In contrast to most evaluations show- ing that the erection of a disamenity affects prices negatively, we show that lifting the burden enables neighborhoods to catch up again immediately. The immediate catch-up contradicts a stickiness of housing prices regarding (temporal) local fac- tors. The temporal pattern shows a clear peak of the effects during the pandemic, which potentially hints at information asymmetries since buyers may not know the non-pandemic noise level during the pandemic.

Predicting airport noise impact to 2040: Traffic growth and technology uptake

While the volume of air traffic continues to rise, there are concurrent shifts in aircraft fleets and advancements in technology aimed at enhancing aircraft efficiency, sustainability, and minimizing noise footprints. These simultaneous developments contribute to the complexity of forecasting airport noise associated with future air traffic. This study presents various scenarios of technology adoption for the years 2030 and 2040 at a European airport, namely Dublin Airport, encompassing changes in fleet distribution. Aircraft are classified into different generations to reflect their technological advancements. Projections indicate an anticipated growth in the wide body fleet at Dublin Airport from 2023 to 2040, while the shares of narrow body, regional jet, and turboprop fleets are expected to decline. Each forecast year showcases three distinct technology uptake scenarios, with noise contour lines at Lden = ▪(A) and Lnight = ▪(A) being compared. To assess the impact of these changes on airport noise, the study evaluates alterations in area and population exposure. In general, the findings suggest a trend of increasing population exposure coinciding with the rise in air traffic. Nevertheless, the increase of wide body aircraft at Dublin Airport further increases the noise impact in 2030. Anticipated growth sees new generation 2 aircraft reaching up to ▪ by 2040, leading to a reduction in 2040 noise contour lines compared to 2030—though not returning to the levels observed in 2023.

Trends and relationships between airport operations and noise complaints in Maryland between 2016 and 2023

The noise pollution from aircraft near airports significantly affects the health and quality of life of the local community either near or far away. This study analyzes trends in airport noise complaints in Maryland from 2016-2018. Data on noise complaints were extracted from airport noise quarterly reports and the data included the number of complaints and unique complaints from different communities near airports, as well as average aircraft operations. The number of complaints rose from less than 1,000 in 2016 to nearly 10,000 in 2018. This study aims to identify the communities most impacted by increasing airport noise through descriptive and geospatial analysis of complaint data. Results will highlight high-complaint areas to inform future noise mitigation policies and airport expansions in Maryland. The number of noise complaints increased drastically from 2016-2018, while flight operations remained steady. Correlational analyses examine the strength of relationship between flight volume and complaint volume over time. Boeing 737-700 operations has the most significant relationship with the number of unique complainants around Baltimore/Washington International Airport. Results will help inform policies to mitigate noise impacts by identifying whether reducing operations, changing flight paths, or other strategies could effectively reduce complaints as well as help the meeting the noise reduction design goals of the state.

Airport noise assessment and mitigation: A simple and flexible methodology

Airport noise assessment and mitigation have been recognized as major challenges in the current civil aviation context. This paper aims to provide a general, simple, and flexible methodology to approximate airport noise-influenced zones and quantify the social cost of noise pollution. The proposed methodology performs this assessment without the need for specific software, monitoring stations, and sophisticated data. Airport noise-influenced zones are estimated by relying on publicly available aircraft certification data, while the social cost of such estimation is computed by taking into account the distribution of residential units located within zones affected by noise. We present an application of this method to a group of Italian and Spanish airports, as well as possible beneficial policy interventions in terms of minimization of noise impact on the population living in the airport neighborhoods. In addition, possible mitigation policies are presented in the form of noise surcharges applied to different aircraft categories.

Characteristics of community responses to airport noise around Bangkok International Airport

A social noise survey is a study of the community's response to noise. Data from a 2014-2015 noise survey of communities living around Bangkok International Airport is considered a spatial study that is important for the long-term planning of the airport development plan to prevent noise problems from aircraft operations. This paper presents the nature of survey data on airport noise from people living around Suvarnabhumi Airport over a decade after the airport's opening in 2006. It is now planned to expand the airport's capacity to handle more air traffic volume through runway expansion and passenger terminal expansion. The cross-sectional study is thought to be useful in future airport noise planning to avoid severe aircraft noise problems. In addition, it was an appropriate time to collect data from the field as a baseline for future airport noise management before expanding the capacity to handle more air traffic by adding more runways and passenger terminals.

Practical calculation methods for ground noise correction factors in airport noise prediction model

This paper describes the results of a study to improve the calculation method for predicting aircraft noise around Japanese airports using our prediction model. The model limited the calculation frequency for the insertion loss caused by noise barriers and buildings to a single 250 Hz, which does not reflect the actual frequency spectrum of aircraft. Therefore, to simulate more realistic conditions, we calculated a synthetic attenuation chart from the frequency spectra of several representative aircraft models and included the chart in our model. We then compared the calculated values with the measured values to verify the validity and discussed the influence of this change on the airport noise contours. In addition, for noise propagation of engines and auxiliary power units on the ground, an improved calculation formula for ground surface attenuation, taking into account the ground condition, has already been reported. In this paper, we report on the implementation of this calculation formula in our model and discussion of the calculation results.

Analysis of noise levels in The Sultan Thaha Jambi Airport Area based on geographical information systems

This research focuses on the noise level at Sultan Thaha Jambi Airport due to aircraft activity which took place from 06.05 to 22.40 WIB. This research started from observation, collecting noise level data and measuring data. The method used is the Weighted Equivalent Continuous Perceived Noise Level (WECPNL) method to measure noise points at each measurement point. Measurement points were taken at 6 points for 24 hours/14 days. This research also uses a Geographic Information System (GIS) to map the distribution of noise levels. The research results showed that the highest noise values ​​occurred in the air side area and occurred during holidays. WECPNL results from April 27 to May 10 showed that the average noise index reached 58 to 59 (dB), close to the noise quality standard of 55 (dB). In the Liverpool airport and residential area, the purple color has an index <67 (dBA), which indicates low noise levels, while red indicates high noise level due to airport activities. WECPNL results from May 1 to May 5 had a noise index of 70.5 (dBA). 2D and 3D contour maps show that the darker the color, the lower the noise level, while the fainter the color, the higher the noise level. The benefits of this research are: For people living in the Jambi Sultan Thaha Airport area, it is hoped that they will be able to find out what effects can be caused by airport noise and know the regional zones that fall into noise level categories I, II, III.

Application of 3D acoustic scene analysis using sound arrival direction at Noi Bai International Airport in Vietnam

This paper discusses improvement of 3D acoustic scene analysis based on sound arrival direction for airport noise monitoring as well as illustrates a result of application using noise observations of unattended noise monitoring at four noise monitors installed near the both ends of two closed-parallel runways at Noi Bai International Airport in Vietnam. The static analysis method visualized the noise level distribution in the focused direction by varying the analysis time. Estimation of sound source movement trajectories not only for landing paths but also for takeoff paths was also realized. The result suggests that the proposed method is useful for identifying noise contributions of various sound sources including aircraft take-off and landing operations aircraft ground operation on the apron and taxiway.

Comparison of data-based and modeled-based analysis of aircraft departure noise using noise monitor network recordings

A comparison of data-based regression analysis and modeled-based analysis of aircraft departure noise variations using airport noise monitor network recordings is presented. Accurate modeling of aircraft noise is useful for the assessment of departure procedures and provides insight into the noise reduction potential of noise abatement flight procedures. In addition, many airports employ monitor networks that continuously record noise data produced by aircraft on departure, which can be used for assessing potential factors leading to variation in departure noise and for comparison to results from modeling methods. In this paper, departure noise variations of Boeing 737-800 aircraft are correlated to departure climb procedure factors using both data-based approaches incorporating recorded noise collected at the Seattle International Airport monitor network, and a method to model departure noise from on altitude, ground track, and ground speed from recorded operational surveillance data. Examples using both approaches indicate altitude and velocity result in the highest correlating factors for noise at the three noise monitor locations studied. Limitations and areas of needed improvement for the different noise modeling methods are highlighted.

Poster] Exploiting high-resolution ADS-B data for flight operation reconstruction towards environmental impact assessment

The estimation of the detrimental impact of civil air traffic on the near-airport environment is conducted by means of dedicated assessment tools, usually based on best-practice methods. However, their application involves availability of information on the flight operations, and, although the use of flight tracking data is very helpful, their full inclusion into these tools is challenging. In this paper, following the authors’ previous efforts and with the purpose of future implementation into assessment tools, highly time-resolved datasets from the OpenSky Network are used for the identification of daily flight operations. Then, the ground track reconstruction is carried out with a newly developed algorithm, which exploits the high time resolution to generate smooth trajectories using only segments and circular arcs while maintaining high accuracy, as shown in the results. This work lays the foundation for immediate future developments involving the reconstruction of aircraft performance and the estimation of airport noise levels.

FACTORS AFFECTING HOUSING PRICES: THE CASE OF ISTANBUL-ATAKOY

Different structural and spatial features such as type of housing unit, age of housing unit, size of housing unit, number of rooms, number of bathrooms, construction quality, heating system, parking lot, quality of public services, proximity to centers, distance to health and education facilities, transportation facilities, crime rate, satisfaction with social activities, landscape, environment, pollution and airport noise affect the prices of the housing units. Atakoy is one of the important residential areas of Istanbul with a high quality of life, due to the richness of its green areas and its urban texture, the closeness to centers, high quality of transportation and urban services. The lack of vacant land, the high demand and the high occupancy rate in the region have increased the housing prices considerably, and the importance of the regional housing market. The aim of the study is to determine the characteristics of housing unit that may affect the housing prices in Atakoy. In this context, multiple regression analysis has been made with the data which consist of physical information about 149 housing units for sale in the region and it has been examined which features related to the housing unit how much may affect the housing prices.

Characterizing temporal trends in populations exposed to aircraft noise around U.S. airports: 1995-2015.

Aircraft noise is a key concern for communities surrounding airports, with increasing evidence for health effects and inequitable distributions of exposure. However, there have been limited national-scale assessments of aircraft noise exposure over time and across noise metrics, limiting evaluation of population exposure patterns. We evaluated national-scale temporal trends in aviation noise exposure by airport characteristics and across racial/ethnic populations in the U.S. Noise contours were modeled for 90 U.S. airports in 5-year intervals between 1995 and 2015 using the Federal Aviation Administration's Aviation Environmental Design Tool. We utilized linear fixed effects models to estimate changes in noise exposure areas for day-night average sound levels (DNL) of 45, 65, and a nighttime equivalent sound level (Lnight) of 45 A-weighted decibels (dB[A]). We used group-based trajectory modeling to identify distinct groups of airports sharing underlying characteristics. We overlaid noise contours and Census tract data from the U.S. Census Bureau and American Community Surveys for 2000 to 2015 to estimate exposure changes overall and by race/ethnicity. National-scale analyses showed non-monotonic trends in mean exposed areas that peaked in 2000, followed by a 37% decrease from 2005 to 2010 and a subsequent increase in 2015. We identified four distinct trajectory groups of airports sharing latent characteristics related to size and activity patterns. Those populations identifying as minority (e.g., Hispanic/Latino, Black/African American, Asian) experienced higher proportions of exposure relative to their subgroup populations compared to non-Hispanic or White populations across all years, indicating ethnic and racial disparities in airport noise exposure that persist over time. Overall, these data identified differential exposure trends across airports and subpopulations, helping to identify vulnerable communities for aviation noise in the U.S. We conducted a descriptive analysis of temporal trends in aviation noise exposure in the U.S. at a national level. Using data from 90 U.S. airports over a span of two decades, we characterized the noise exposure trends overall and by airport characteristics, while estimating the numbers of exposed by population demographics to help identify the impact on vulnerable communities who may bear the burden of aircraft noise exposure.

Reductions in community noise levels in vancouver, Canada, during pandemic lockdown and association with land cover type

BackgroundUrban transportation noise is a major public concern because of its adverse effects on health. The determinants of urban noise exposure have not been widely explored but the “natural experiment” presented by the COVID-19 lockdowns presented a unique opportunity.This study examined the relationship between environmental characteristics and urban noise pollution during the COVID-19 related lockdown in Metro Vancouver, Canada, from March 21st to May 18th, 2020. MethodsWe used noise exposure data from the Vancouver International Airport (YVR) noise management program, comparing the noise levels during “Phase One” of the COVID-19 lockdown in 2020 to the corresponding time period in 2019 from 21 Noise Monitoring Terminals (NMTs) located throughout Metro Vancouver. We modelled the relationship between the change in noise level and the physical NMT environments, including land cover, and total length of roads at four different time periods (24Hr, daytime, evening and nighttime) and within three different buffer zones (100 m, 250 m, and 500 m). ResultsOf 59,472 hourly measurements of community noise, the 24-h noise level was reduced by an average of 2.20 dBA between 2019 and 2020. Higher proportions of greenspace, barren areas, and soil-cover around NMTs resulted in stronger noise reductions and higher density of building, pavement, and water weakened the amount of noise reduction. Proximity of high-volume traffic roads (highways) were associated with weaker noise reduction. ConclusionThe COVID-19 related lockdown was associated with reduced noise in Metro Vancouver, and the relative reduction depended on the types of the environment surrounding the NMT. Future research on the effects of urban environmental characteristics on geographic inequality in noise levels and health consequences of the COVID-19 related lockdown is merited.

House prices, airport location proximity, air traffic volume and the COVID-19 effect

ABSTRACT Although house prices and airports are influenced by distinct factors that shape their evolutions, they are also intrinsically connected through the natural and built environment. Standard theory suggests that air-traffic noise and proximity to key economic hubs such as airports are of prime importance to house prices and the housing market. This study contributes to understanding the link between the housing market, airport location proximity and air traffic. The research investigates this association across four key urban areas within New Zealand proximal to an international airport: Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Queenstown. Applying a generalized least squares (GLS) regression approach, the analysis reveals that house prices, air-traffic activity and proximity to airports within New Zealand demonstrate a statistically significant effect, and that air traffic volume has a positive effect on house prices. Moreover, the findings reveal a ‘U’-shape relationship between distance to the airport and house prices, suggesting that airport noise and pollution adversely affect house prices, with this effect diminishing with distance, indicating that economic influences and employment may also serve as a positive externality.

Closed-Form Analytical Approach for Calculating Noise Contours of Directive Aircraft Noise Sources

This paper extends the simplified airport noise model Rapid Aviation Noise Evaluator (RANE) [Torija et al., Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, Vol. 141, No. 2, 2017, pp. 981–995], adding capability of including fully nonisotropic noise sources. This extended tool, RANE v2, is developed as a part of multidisciplinary acoustic assessment of novel aircraft, in order to produce ground contours around airports and helipads. Version 2 extends the capability of RANE to accommodate predictions of future air vehicles implementing propulsion systems solution with inherent directional properties. The model uses three-dimensional noise emission surfaces around a series of discretized segments that represent the aircraft flightpath. The main inputs are the sources’ sound power level, the distance from the flightpath at which a level is observed, and the source three-dimensional directivity. The directivity function may take analytical or numerical form, allowing for experimental data inputs. This paper demonstrates the use of spherical harmonics as a form of directivity function with a closed-form analytical solution for calculating the noise exposure contours. Results and comparison against the Federal Aviation Administration’s Aviation Environmental Design Tool module for helicopter community noise indicate that exposure contour coordinates can be estimated for high and low noise exposure levels. The incorporation of source directivity allows for the assessment of lateral attenuation, engine installation effects, and transition operations (for vertical to horizontal flight and vice versa) via the assumption of individual source directivities and, therefore, complex noise surfaces. As a consequence of the analytical nature of the model, low computational requirements allow for fast exploration of the design space and parametric studies, with minimal input requirements. The capabilities of RANE v2 are demonstrated by predicting noise footprints for three helicopters, each of different size, performance, and directivity characteristics.

Study on the ground attenuation of engine run-up and APU noise for developing the airport noise model in Japan

The correction for ground effect around airports is modeled based on the results of numerical analysis in order to make it possible to estimate the propagation of noise caused by ground operations in airports such as engine run-ups and APU to the vicinity of airports. The excess attenuation due to ground effects on sound caused by engine run-ups and APU is calculated using a PE method for typical jet aircraft and propeller aircraft, respectively. On the assumption that the ground around an airport consists of asphalt-paved surface and grass-covered surface in a certain ratio, the excess attenuation for the mixed impedance ground is calculated with the Fresnel-zone method using the results of PE calculation. The composition ratio of ground surface is assumed based on the composition ratio of asphalt-paved surface and grass-covered surface along the propagation path from the engine run-up spot to the airport site boundary of six major airports in Japan. In this paper, we introduce the excess attenuation calculated with the PE method and the correction model for ground effects on noise of engine run-ups and APU is discussed to implement it in the airport noise prediction model used in Japan.

Analysis of community departure noise exposure variation using airport noise monitor networks and operational ADS-B data

Advanced operational flight procedures have been proposed to reduce the impact of aircraft operations on community noise. Recent work has led to the development of noise abatement procedures like the delayed-deceleration approach for arrivals. Causes of variation in airport noise monitor network measurements due to departures remain an important source of uncertainty in the development of departure noise abatement procedures. Understanding this variation, found to be up to 20 dB at individual monitors for multiple departures, can be accomplished by analyzing aggregate departure noise and flight procedures so statistically-significant factors that correlate with measured noise can be isolated. This paper aims to identify these factors. Operational flights at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport conducted in March and August of 2019 are examined using a framework that includes ADS-B data from the OpenSky Network, a force balance kinematics model to model aircraft performance, and the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport noise monitor network. Variation in measured departure noise throughout the entire monitoring network is examined as a function of aircraft weight, thrust, velocity, specific energy, and flight path angle. Variables that are found to correlate with increased noise are isolated and can be used to inform the development of future departure noise abatement procedures.