The FAA works in partnership with industry through the Continuous Lower Energy, Emissions, and Noise (CLEEN) program to develop aircraft and engine technologies that reduce noise and emissions while increasing fuel efficiency that leads to reduced operating costs. Over the last four decades, significant progress has been made in reducing aircraft noise for people living around airports. Advances in aircraft technology, operational procedures, and noise abatement programs at airports all work together to mitigate noise. The FAA is continuing these efforts with airports and aircraft and engine manufacturers to further reduce aircraft noise.
The FAA is actively researching new operational procedure concepts that could reduce the noise exposure to communities by changing where aircraft fly through precision navigation and how aircraft are flown to reduce noise. Ideas being considered include thrust and speed management, vertical profile management, and the potential introduction of systematic dispersion. The goal of the work is to develop tools that will enable the development of operational procedures that could be used to lower the noise from the fleet of aircraft in operation today.
More information on the FAA’s noise studies is available at FAA.gov.