With the aviation industry preparing itself for a growth in air service demand, Airports Council International (ACI) stressed the importance of limiting or reducing the nuisance of considerable aircraft noise for airports and aviation stakeholders.
ACI World Director General Angela Gittens spoke at the Air Transport Action Group (ATAG) Summit in Montreal, highlighting the management of aircraft noise as one of the industry’s significant 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” said Gittens. “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.
“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.”
Gittens also spoke about non-acoustic factors making up a number of variables that contribute to community annoyance. This could range from the level of trust residents have in airports or authorities, to their attitude towards aviation in general.
“While we continue to improve our technology and provide effective noise insulation, we must also strengthen our community engagement,” said Gittens.
