Aircraft and airport noise

Noise homepage

Noise-based operating restrictions for aircraft at European airports have been in force since 2002. The noisiest aircraft have been banned from European airports since 2002 under Directive 92/14/EEC, which is based on standards set by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO). The noisiest aircraft are known as ‘Chapter 2’ aircraft as defined in the Chicago Convention on International Civil Aviation. The EU follows ICAO’s “balanced approach” for airport noise management, which advocates a mix of the most cost-effective measures. Measures include reduction of aircraft noise at source, land-use planning and management measures, airport charging, noise abatement operational procedures and operating restrictions, including night flight restrictions [1].

The ICAO Council has since adopted a new noise certification standard, known as ‘Chapter 4’, which came into force in 2006 for newly designed aircraft. It is not expected that the Chapter 4 standard will improve the noise situation, as the majority of current production aircraft are already compliant.

Noise-related operating restrictions at Community airports are currently outlined in Directive 2002/30, with continued emphasis on ICAO’s “balanced approach”. Article 14 of this directive states that a report must be submitted with proposals for revision where necessary within five years of the entry into force. This deadline is fast approaching. A Working Group on Airport Noise will submit a report on policy recommendations to the Commission and its noise expert group for a better management of ambient noise around airports. This should be included in the Commission’s report to the European Council and Parliament in late 2007.

The Environmental Noise Directive is also relevant for airports, as noise mapping, assessment of noise exposure and noise control action plans are compulsory.

Links

Aircraft noise (responsibility of EC Directorate General Energy & Transport)

• Subsonic Aircraft - 80/51/EEC
• Subsonic Jet Aeroplanes - 89/629/EEC
• Limitation of the Operations of Aeroplanes - 92/14/EEC
• Operating restrictions at Community airports - 2002/30/EC

European Commission funded projects:

• SILENCE(R) aircraft noise project
• X2-Noise, on aircraft noise

References

[1] Directive 2002/30/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 26 March 2002 on the establishment of rules and procedures with regard to the introduction of noise-related operating restrictions at Community airports, OJ L 85, 28.3.2002) which enshrined the ICAO Resolution A33-7 on the use of a ‘balanced approach’ to noise management around airports.