Noise Research & Programs
The FAA has a robust research program to both understand and ease the impacts of aviation noise on communities.
- Aviation Environmental Design Tool (AEDT) – AEDT is a software system that models aircraft performance in space and time to estimate fuel consumption, noise, emissions, and air quality consequences. AEDT facilitates environmental review activities by consolidating the modeling of these environmental impacts in a single tool and is the required software for FAA actions under the National Environmental Policy Act. The tool is widely used by practitioners, industry, governments, and academia both domestically and internationally in support of research and analysis activities. AEDT is also the primary tool used by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) to inform international standards for noise.
- ASCENT Center of Excellence and the Airport Cooperative Research Program – The FAA supports research to understand the impacts of aviation noise on health, sleep, and children's learning. Through ASCENT, the FAA explores ways to reduce noise exposure from aircraft, helicopters, and new entrants such as supersonic civil aircraft, unmanned aircraft systems, and urban air mobility vehicles. ASCENT research also provides data used to inform the development of noise policies and standards.
- Continuous Lower Emissions Energy and Noise (CLEEN) Program – As a public-private partnership, the FAA and industry are accelerating the development of technologies to reduce noise and emissions while improving energy efficiency.
The FAA also works on aviation noise initiatives with the Volpe Transportation Center, NASA and other government agencies through a variety of forums including the Federal Interagency Committee on Aviation Noise (FICAN).
Last updated: Friday, July 22, 2022