Aircraft noise report2015 Luftfahrt bewegt. Air transport allows people to quickly reach almost every corner of the globe, while also connecting companies and their products to the global economy. However, this demand for mobility is at odds with the desire of people who live near airports for rest and protection. In this report, the German Aviation Association (BDL) summarises the key facts and information in this regard, and explains the strategies and measures that lead to a reduction in noise emissions. Content Aircraft noise in Germany: key indicators 2015 2 International aircraft noise strategy and European targets 8 Noise reduction measures Noise reduction at source 10 Local measures in the vicinity of the airport 12 Noise abatement operating procedures in the air and on the ground 14 Noise-based operating restrictions 16 Noise impact 18 Public involvement 19 Glossary 20 Publication details 21 www.bdl.aero www.fluglärm-portal.de Aircraft noise report2015 Development of passenger numbers at German airports +168% from 1991 to 2014 Development of flight movements at German airports +57% from 1991 to 2014 Reduction of noise emissions – 80% by aircraft since the mid-1950s Reduction in the number of people affected by aircraft noise in – 65% Germany from 2006 to 2014 Planned investments of German airlines in 230 new, quieter aircraft € 32 bn over the next ten years Expenses by the aviation industry on noise control at € 925m German airports to date Aircraft noise in Germany: key indicators 2015 Aircraft noise: key indicators 2015 An increase in passenger numbers does not necessarily lead to increased aircraft noise. After all, the development of passenger numbers in Germany no longer means a parallel development in terms of flight movements. New technologies mean that modern aircraft are becoming ever quieter and their noise emissions are significantly below the permissible limits. Efficient organisation of air transport reduces aircraft noise In the field of air transport, increasing passenger numbers do not automatically mean an equally sharp increase in flight movements. Significantly more passengers and freight are now transported at German airports compared to 20 years ago, but the flight movements have not increased at the same rate. There were 77 million passengers in Germany in 1991. By 2014, that number had almost tripled to 208 million passengers – an increase of 168 per cent. Flight movements have increased during this period by just 57 per cent. Breaking the link between movements and passenger growth Passenger numbers at German airports +168% Flight movements at German airports +57% 1991 1995 2000 2005 2010 2014 Source: German Airports Association (ADV) This is because an aircraft can now seat around 70 per cent more passengers than 20 years ago. On the one hand, airlines are increasingly using larger aircraft that can transport more passengers at a time. On the other hand, airlines around the world have been able to continually improve their passenger load factors. On average, eight out of every ten seats on an aircraft will now be occupied during a flight. 2 Aircraft noise in Germany: key indicators 2015 Noise development to the present day: down by 80% The most effective way of preventing noise is to invest in new aircraft technologies and to continually modernise existing aircraft. Major advances have been made in this area over the past few decades, with latest-generation aircraft 25 decibels, or around 80 per cent, quieter than 60 years ago. Development of aircraft noise emissions Lateral noise level standardised to 500 kN in EPNdB 120 707-120 –25 dB 110 (–80%) 727-100 100 A300 A340-600 737-300 90 A380-842 787-8 80 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 2020 Year of certification *EPNdB: Effective Perceived Noise in Decibels Aircraft fall significantly below required noise levels Source: CFD-Software E+F GmbH Berlin Noise levels are defined in Annex 16 to the Conven- tion on International Civil Aviation (Chicago Conven- tion) as a result of the international nature of avia- tion. The permissible levels depend on an aircraft’s maximum take-off mass and number of engines, and are therefore different for each model. Noise standards known as Chapter 2, 3, 4 and 14 specify the requirements to be met by the various aircraft models and the deadlines for compliance. Since 2006, aircraft have been certified based on the standard in Chapter 4. These include the Airbus A350 and the Boeing 787 – the newest aircraft currently in use. In order for Chapter 4 aircraft to be approved, they must be at least 10 decibels quieter than the previous generation, i.e. Chapter 3 aircraft. 3 Aircraft noise in Germany: key indicators 2015 The following graphic shows how the internationally defined noise levels have been continually tightened since the 1970s. Tightening of international noise levels Chapter 2 e.g. 727-100 approx. –16 dB Chapter 3 e.g. A320-200 Reduction from previous Chapter* previous from Reduction –10 dB Chapter 4 … and improvement at every measuring point, and also by more than 2 dB at two measuring points e.g. 787-8 –7 dB … and at least 1 dB quieter at each measurement point Chapter 14 Year of certification 1977 2006 2017 * Calculated from the total of the individual measurements (approach, Many aircraft not only meet these limits, but fall lateral, flyover) measured in EPNdB significantly below them. An Airbus A319-100, a Source: The UN’s International Civil Chapter 3 aircraft, is up to 19.4 decibels quieter than Aviation Organisation (ICAO) the limit for its Chapter. And some aircraft models fall well below the noise levels for Chapter 4. These include the Boeing 747-8, which is 15.6 decibels below the level, and the Airbus A380, which is 16.7 decibels below. German airlines taking older aircraft out of service New aircraft are considerably quieter compared to their predecessors. German airlines are already operating a large number of state-of-the-art aircraft, and have already ordered 230 aircraft at a value of over €32 billion for the coming years. Noise manage- ment is just one reason behind the airlines’ efforts to upgrade their fleets. Another incentive: not only are modern aircraft quieter, they also use significantly less fuel. 4 Aircraft noise in Germany: key indicators 2015 The new machines are generally being used to re- place older, louder aircraft. Since 2012, for example, one of the world’s most advanced freight aircraft, the Boeing 777F, has operated out of Cologne Bonn Airport, replacing the Boeing MD-11. Measurements show that this replacement achieves significant noise abatement for the public. At certain measurement points, the new model is over 5 decibels quieter. Aircraft fleet of the BDL airlines Cumulative noise level below Chapter 3 and Chapter 4 requirements (all values in EPNdB) -25 -20 -15 -10 -5 0 14x A330-200 19x A330-300 17x A340-300 24x A340-600 12x A380-800 17x 747-400 15x 747-8 12x 767-300 4x 777F 15x MD-11F 19x A300-600 82x A319-100 128x A320-200 20x A321-100 63x A321-200 11x 757-200 13x 757-300 9x 737-300 12x 737-500 14x 737-700 67x 737-800 7x CRJ700 35x CRJ900 16x Q400 15x E190 24x E195 Chapter 4 limit Chapter 3 limit Intercontinental fleet Continental fleet Regional fleet Span of cumulative noise levels below the requirements Source: airberlin group, Condor, DHL/EAT, Germanwings, Lufthansa, Lufthansa Cargo, Lufthansa CityLine, TUIfly; data from: 31.12.2014 5 Aircraft noise in Germany: key indicators 2015 Noise mapping: fewer people affected by aircraft noise In accordance with the EU Environmental Noise Directive, traffic noise was recorded for the first time in Europe in 2007. The latest figures for Germany are from 2012, and show that 8,500 fewer people are affected by aircraft noise than in 2007, despite the fact that two more airports were taken into account for the noise mapping. According to an evaluation by the German Federal Environment Agency, 10.2 million people in Germany are affected by road-traffic noise and 6.2 million people by rail-traffic noise, with an average sound level of over 55 dB(A). A much smaller group of people is affected by aircraft noise – just 738,000 people to be precise. People affected by traffic noise in Germany 7.704.700 1.689.900 10.179.100 784.500 5.231.500 6.182.400 632.500 318.400 709.700 738.000 L DEN > 70 dB(A) 25.600 L DEN > 65 <= 70 dB(A) 2.700 L DEN > 55 <= 65 dB(A) Source: German Federal Environment The differences are even greater at night: Between Agency (UBA) 2015 10 p.m. and 6 a.m., 29 times more people are disturbed by road-traffic noise and 24 times more people by rail-traffic noise than those disturbed by aircraft noise. People affected by traffic noise in Germany (night-time) 3.083.500 1.885.400 966.700 5.935.600 3.026.900 1.243.300 4.938.000 667.800 205.700 L Night > 60 dB(A) 800 L Night > 55 <= 60 dB(A) 26.200 L Night > 50 <= 55 dB(A) 178.700 Source: German Federal Environment Agency (UBA) 2015 6 Aircraft noise in Germany: key indicators 2015 Fewer and fewer people feel disturbed by aircraft noise The numerous approaches to avoiding aircraft noise and therefore improving life for those affected are proving effective. This is confirmed in the regular rep- resentative survey carried out by the Federal Ministry for the Environment every two years, called “Umwelt- bewusstsein in Deutschland” [Environmental Aware- ness in Germany]. As part of this survey, the Ministry aims to find out information such as the extent to which Germans feel that they are disturbed by differ- ent sources of noise.