Noise News
Below are links to stories about noise in relation to airports and aviation.
Night flights over London to be allowed during Olympic Games
London residents fear a "relentless noise nightmare" during the Olympics as air industry bosses consider using night flights to cope with the surge in travel to the capital. It has now emerged that the CAA suggests easing restrictions on flights during sleeping hours at all airports while the Games takes place. London airports, particularly Heathrow, already operate near full capacity during the day and there may be a million extra passenggers in summer 2012.
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NASA to fund Boeing for open rotor noise study
NASA's Langley Research Center plans to issue a contract to Boeing to perform noise studies of open rotor engine configurations on several types of airframes in a company-owned low-speed aeroacoustics facility. Airbus and Boeing are each considering new-generation efficient open rotor engine designs as potential candidates to succeed their A320 and 737 families of aircraft after 2020. However, high noise levels to be a key problem. (Flightglobal)
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Tranquillity is ‘subjective’, rules Government
The DfT has now said flights over national parks will not be capped because tranquillity is a "subjective" concept. Replying to a call from the House of Commons' own Transport Committee for flights over national parks and AONBs to be limited, ministers said that to do so would be "impractical". Current guidance appears to allow unchecked increases in aviation activity over these areas." Planes overhead are intrusive as background sound is so low.
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Noise pollution besieges Europe’s cities
The European Environment Agency have released a report on the number of people in European cities who are exposed to transport noise - road, rail and air. More than 41 million people in cities of at least 250,000 people from 19 countries deal with road noise of 55 decibels or higher, the WHO threshold for health impacts. Some 3.6 million urban dwellers cope with levels of 70 decibels or higher. The UK is one of the worst affected by aircraft noise.
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NATS defers TCN plans – yet again
On February 23 2009 NATS announced it would conduct a new consultation on revised proposals for the TCN (Terminal Control North) region. On October 22 2009 NATS announced that, as a result of the further work still required to be done on the designs and the downturn in air traffic internationally, any further consultation would not now be held before September 2010 at the earliest.
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Transport Noise: World Health Organisation Support Quieter Nights
The long awaited new guidelines on noise levels at night, have at last been published by the WHO. These recommend an annual average night noise exposure not exceeding 40 decibels (dB) – equivalent to a quiet residential street. WHO say that while levels above this can cause sleep disturbance and insomnia, prolonged exposure to noise above 55dB at night can trigger raised blood pressure and even heart attacks.
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Airport Noise Action Plans Not Fit For Purpose
Environmental Protection UK has considerd a number of the airport draft noise action plants, and feels overall that they are not fit for purpose. They are in essence a summary of what the airports are already required to do and, with airport operators as the competent authority, the plans contain very little in terms of additional controls that would avoid, prevent and reduce environmental noise from these airports.
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Impacts of Noise on Immune System
A new article has been published in the Noise and Health Journal, looking at whether excess noise weakens the immune system. It examines current research into the effects of noise exposure on the physiological systems of stress, and looks at the possible ways this might have an impact on the immune system. There are 2 groups of people: 'high reactors', and 'low reactors' who show little or no change in heart rate and blood pressure.
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Luton airport launches Draft Noise Action Plan Consultation
The Airport has launched its "Noise Action Plan" for public consultation until 17th January 2010. The Luton NAP has no targets and dates, other than a few mentions of increased monitoring of noise. There is no mention of reducing aircraft noise, and no measures that might inconvenience or add costs to airlines. The only mention of "reduce" is in the numbers of people affected by noise.
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London City Airport finally launches its Noise Action Plan
London City Airport has launched a 16 week public consultation on its draft noise action plan. The consultation started on 28 September 2009 and conclude on 15 Jan 2010. It will cover the next 5 years. Most other airports producing NAPs are now nearing the close of their consultation periods. It appears that it is just "business as usual" as it does not contain any actions with any measurable and timetabled outputs that would avoid, prevent or reduce noise.