Reducing aviation noise

Actions should address the development of new technologies and methodologies to enable 24/7 operations, including new methods for assessing, monitoring and managing the impact of aviation noise. They should also support the coordination of national and EU research activities related to aviation noise and consider possibilities for international cooperation. The actions should address one or several of the following areas:

―Development of new aircraft/engine technologies for noise reduction at the source.

―Novel approaches for assessing and managing the impact of aviation noise, including aspects such as new airport noise reduction strategies, novel cost-effective solutions for the monitoring of noise footprints and health impacts.The developed methodologies and tools should complement ongoing efforts on noise-emissions interdependencies modelling and be open to the EU research and policy community.

―Integration of aviation-related environmental assessment approaches in land-use planning practices and tools with the aim of enabling a higher level of effectiveness in scenario- analysis and decision-support capability whilst allowing heightened proficiency for use by non-specialists.

―Better understanding on sonic boom policy and regulations in support to the regulatory discussions at United Nations' International Civil Aviation Organisation.

Particular emphasis should be given to innovative approaches towards reducing noise at the source and for mitigating the noise impact of air traffic operations. The development of well-reasoned and scientifically-rooted decision-making approaches for purposes of deploying the latter should be stressed, notably ensuring a level of end-user friendliness compatible with their utilisation by non-experts – such as land-use and regional development planners.

The actions should support the coordination of national and EU research activities related to aviation noise, notably towards establishing a common strategic research roadmap for aviation noise reduction.

The promotion of synergies with other industrial sectors which are confronted with similar noise-related problems is encouraged.

In line with the strategy for EU international cooperation in research and innovation[[COM(2012)497]], international cooperation is encouraged, in particular in relation to sonic boom, in order to contribute to the regulatory discussions at United Nations' International Civil Aviation Organisation.

The Commission considers that proposals requesting a contribution from the EU of between EUR 5 to 9 million would allow this specific challenge to be addressed appropriately. Nonetheless, this does not preclude submission and selection of proposals requesting other amounts.

Exposure to aircraft noise has an adverse effect on population. High levels of perceived noise have also an important impact on future extensions of airports which are reaching their capacity limits. Despite significant progress on noise reduction at source and on noise abatement procedures, aircraft noise continues to cause adverse effects on quality of life and on public health, notably in the neighbourhood of major airports. Ensuring that airports will have the capability to respond to the growing traffic demand requires more systematic approaches to aviation noise management bringing together technological, operational and planning solutions. To address these challenges, stronger coordination between national, international and EU research activities is necessary.

Actions will lead to new and more holistic approaches for aviation noise reduction, coupling innovative airframe/engine technologies with operational aspects, airport infrastructure and connectivity, and land-use planning solutions. They will also lead to easy-to-use decision support systems for purposes of elaborating sustainable airport development plans fit for use. They are also expected to lead to a European noise impact modelling tools, open for research and policy purposes. It is also expected that the proposals will gather critical mass on a pan-European scale, overcoming gaps, duplication and fragmentation, create a leverage effect, enhance coherence and efficiency of noise research in Europe, and underpin the development of future noise related regulations, operations, and technology. By doing so, actions are expected to contribute to the improvement of health conditions of the population particularly in areas near airports and air corridors, as well as to economic activities linked to sustainable airport development plans.