The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) recently published rules for sound standards on newly designed aircraft.
The rule, Stage 5 Airplane Noise Standards, goes into effect Jan.1. The goal is to encourage manufacturers to incorporate noise-reduction technology into their designs and reduce noise around airports.
In addition, the rules address the use of aircraft operating procedures and restrictions as well as airport runway design to abate noise.
Under the rule, subsonic jet and transport airplanes will need to operate at a minimum of seven decibels quieter than current subsonic craft.
“Reducing aircraft noise is important to the FAA because it’s an important quality of life issue for surrounding airport communities,” FAA Administrator Michael Huerta said. “We will continue to do our best through new technologies, procedures, and community engagement to make aircraft operations quieter.”
Stage 5 will work in conjunction with the FAA’s Continuous Lower Energy, Emissions and Noise (CLEEN) Program. The program is working to encourage the use of advance sustainable alternative jet fuels and environmentally friendly engine technologies.
Aircraft noise affected 200 million people in 1975. Forty years later, this number had reduced 94 percent to 340,000, according to a FAA study. During the same timeframe, the number of passengers quadrupled.