Noise and Environment
Chicago O’Hare Fly Quiet 21 Proposal
The Chicago Department of Aviation (CDA) has submitted a Fly Quiet 21 Plan (FQ21) to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for nighttime operations at Chicago O’Hare (ORD) Airport. The FQ21 Plan is a voluntary program that aims to balance nighttime noise impacts by alternating among different runway configurations based on wind conditions. The FAA is currently working with the CDA to analyze the environmental impacts of the FQ21 plan submitted to the FAA.
Community Response to Noise
Introduction
Noise comes from many sources, not just aviation. As a result, the level of noise someone experiences day to day can depend on many different factors. Noise in small suburban areas compared...
Aviation Noise
FAA fact sheets
Aviation enables Americans to move safely and freely, with almost 3 million passengers flying in and out of U.S. airports every day. Noise from aircraft, however, may disturb those living or working near airports. The goal of this website is to inform you about aviation noise and the FAA's ongoing work to improve our understanding of the ways aviation noise may affect communities.
Over the last 40 years, the Federal...
Noise Complaints & Inquiries
The FAA's mission is to ensure the safe and efficient use of our nation's airspace. We also participate in research and community engagement activities focused on aircraft noise. Airport owners/operators (sponsors) also share the responsibility to reduce impacts on area residents. You can review FAA's noise complaint and inquiry policy to learn how ...
Aircraft Noise Levels & Stages
Levels
The FAA regulates the maximum noise level that an individual civil aircraft can emit through requiring aircraft to meet certain noise certification standards. These standards designate changes in maximum noise level requirements by "stage" designation.
The U.S. noise standards are defined in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Title 14 Part 36 – Noise Standards: Aircraft Type and...
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...
Noise
The National Airspace System helps people and goods travel safely and freely. While there are many benefits to air travel, aviation noise can be a concern for communities. The FAA is limited by the simple reality that aircraft make noise. Addressing this concern requires collaboration among the FAA, air carriers, airports, aircraft manufacturers, research universities, other stakeholders and industry partners, local communities, and elected officials. Decisions about flight times, number of operations, and aircraft type are in the scope of private industry.