Noise News
Below are links to stories about noise in relation to airports and aviation.
Australia – Sydney Councils furious over Qantas curfew call
Two inner Sydney councils have expressed anger at Qantas' call to relax Sydney Airport's 11:00pm to 6:00am curfew. Qantas wants the Federal Government to ease the 12-year-old curfew. "No Aircraft Noise" president Alan Rees says the move would be opposed because residents of two areas are already suffering with unacceptable noise levels. (ABC)
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COMMUNITIES TO HOLD MINUTE’S SILENCE IN PROTEST AT AIR TRAFFIC CHANGES IN RURAL AREAS
Campaigners will declare Areas of Outstanding Natural Tranquillity. Communities across the areas affected by proposed changes to air traffic will hold a minute’s silence on June 12th at 12 noon to mark their protest against this threat to peaceful, rural life.
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Aircraft improvements likely to be “insignificant until 2045”
Improvements in aircraft efficiency will not dramatically affect the all-round environmental performance of the German air fleet until after 2045, according to a new study for the German environment ministry. The study concludes that although more efficient engine features are now available, improvements beyond 10% are not in sight. Fuel efficiency goals cannot be achieved simultaneously with improvements in NO2 and aircraft noise emissions. (ENDS)
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Night flight councils lose High Court battle
Three councils (Richmond and Wandsworth councils, and Windsor and Maidenhead)have lost their High Court claim that the government did not deal with the intrusive effects of aircraft noise at Heathrow at night. The councils had challenged ministers' pronouncements on noise levels and wanted judges to overrule decisions on which type of plane, and how many, could land before 0600 BST. High Court said the issues had been dealt with three years ago. (BBC)
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Plea to Government after High Court noise ruling
A plea to the Government to clarify its attitude on aircraft noise was made by Richmond Council after the High Court ruled that the Transport Secretary was under no obligation to improve conditions for residents woken up by early morning arrivals at Heathrow. Mr Justice Sullivan said that while the Government had a policy of bearing down on night noise this did not necessarily mean that it had to make things better, and the policy was "vacuous." (Richmond)
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Bangkok, Thailand – Aircraft noise trial a failure
During a recent one-month experiment, pilots of Thai Airways International were asked to fly to a height of 1,000 feet and reduce engine thrust before climbing to 3,000 feet, to reduce noise on the ground. However it was found that the noise level fell by only one to two decibels, which was not enough to help nearby residents, so planes will continue to climb as before (Bangkok Post).
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Three councils mount legal challenge to curb night-time noise
A High Court challenge is being mounted next week by 3 boroughs as part of a continuing drive to ban night-flights at Heathrow. Richmond, Wandsworth and Windsor & Maidenhead Councils contend that the current night-flights regime is illegal as some of the flights are noisier than are allowed by the Government’s own rules. The three authorities will put their case before Mr Justice Sullivan at a Judicial Review in the High Court, starting on Tuesday May 20th.
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DEFRA Noise Maps show noise in 23 UK urban areas
Residents in 23 towns and cities in the UK are to be given the chance to monitor noise levels in their area using interactive maps. The maps show noise from road and rail networks in the areas. The mapping process was carried out during 2006 and 2007 and incorporated the noise maps produced for the 18 English airports that were published in December last year. (BBC)
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Airport Noise Instantly Boosts Blood Pressure
Living near an airport isn't just irritating, it is also unhealthy, researchers said in a study that showed loud noise instantly boosts a sleeping person's blood pressure. The louder the noise, the higher a person's blood pressure went, a finding that suggests people who live near airports may have a greater risk of health problems, said Lars Jarup, who led the European Commission-funded study. (Air Wise News)
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ASA brands Boeing “untruthful” over claim the 787 Dreamliner will be 60% quieter
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has upheld a complaint by a London resident over Boeing’s claims in a recent advertisement that the new 787 Dreamliner, which is due to go into service later this year, will be "quieter than ever before". The ruling comes barely a week after British Airways announced that it had finalised an order for 24 Boeing 787 Dreamliners. (HACAN press release)