FAA Extends Comment Period for Noise Research and Survey

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has extended the comment period for the existing noise research portfolio, including the Neighborhood Environmental Survey, and additional areas recommended for investigation to April 14, 2021. Both notices are available on FAA’s website; in addition, you can review the first notice and read the comment extension notice at the Federal Register website.

The FAA is sharing information on its aircraft noise research programs that includes a portfolio of research initiatives related to the effects of aviation noise impacts on the public, efforts to mitigate such noise exposure, and research regarding public perception of aviation noise. The public comment period opened on January 13, 2021.

Included in this posting are the results of the Neighborhood Environmental Survey, a multi-year research effort to review and improve FAA’s understanding of community response to noise. The survey included responses from over 10,000 people living near 20 airports across the country, and the results show an increased level of reported annoyance due to aircraft noise in contrast to earlier surveys. 

Successfully addressing noise requires continued and increased collaboration among all aviation stakeholders. In this regard, FAA has an important role to play in addressing noise issues, including continuing to improve the understanding of how airport noise impacts communities surrounding our nation’s airports. As part of FAA’s broader research on aircraft noise, this survey data and the research related to noise abatement will be used to inform FAA’s approach on the relationship between aircraft noise exposure and the well-being of people living near airports and communities served by airports throughout the country.

FAA continues decades-long efforts to work with airport authorities, aircraft manufacturers, airlines, state and local governments, and communities to address noise concerns.  FAA also collaborates with airport authorities and community groups to implement noise abatement procedures safely when operationally feasible. Today’s civilian aircraft are quieter than at any time in the history of powered flight, and FAA continues to work with manufacturers and air carriers to reduce noise at the source.

FAA works with local governments to encourage responsible land planning that avoids building residential housing in areas that will be exposed to significant airplane noise. In fact, over the last four decades, the number of Americans exposed to significant aviation noise near airports has been reduced from 7 million to just over 400,000–more than a 94% reduction. During the same period, the number of annual passengers increased from around 200 million per year to over 900 million per year. This demonstrates a decrease in the number of people exposed to significant noise while showing an increase in the number of passengers travelling in the aviation system.