As the aviation industry prepares to accommodate growth in air service demand, Airports Council International (ACI) World today emphasized that limiting or reducing the nuisance of significant aircraft noise remains a key priority for airports and aviation stakeholders.
ACI World Director General Angela Gittens who spoke at the Air Transport Action Group (ATAG) Summit in Montreal recently, highlights the importance of managing aircraft noise as the industry meets new challenges.
“Aircraft noise is the most significant cause of adverse community reaction related to airports’ license to operate and grow, a necessary component to meeting future growth” says Gittens, adding: “Limiting or reducing the number of people affected by significant aircraft noise is thus a shared priority for airports, the aviation industry and regulators alike.”
She adds: “The industry has done a good job at managing aircraft noise but new challenges are arising including the development of supersonic aircraft for business jets and commercial airplanes. While ACI supports the development of new technology, noise and emissions standards for supersonics must be stringent enough that they do not compromise the work that airports and the industry have been doing for decades.”
Furthermore, she stresses that strengthening community engagement is important in this regard. She states: “While we continue to improve our technology and provide effective noise insulation, we must also continue to engage our communities. This includes better understanding of non-acoustic factors, having transparent communication, knowing the community because no two airports are alike, developing a tailored engagement plan, and going well beyond the minimum requirements.”
ACI supports the International Civil Aviation Organization’s (ICAO) Annex 16 Volume 1, dedicated to aircraft noise, and the current work at the ICAO Committee on Aviation Environmental Protection (CAEP) to develop Standards and Recommended Practices for new supersonic aircraft.