Ramon Lopez/WASHINGTON DC Alan George/BRUSSELS
The International Civil Aviation Organisation's technical advisory group has failed to reach a consensus on phasing-out the Chapter 3 aircraft noise standard, seen as key to determining the shelf-life of controversial aircraft making the Chapter 3 grade only through hushkitting.
ICAO's Committee on Aviation Environmental Protection (CAEP), meeting in Montreal, recommended a new Chapter 4 standard 10dB below current limits, effective from 1 January 2006. But in failing to reach agreement on a mechanism for moving to the new standard, CAEP has done nothing to defuse the US-European Union (EU) row over hushkitted aircraft.
ICAO confirms that CAEP considered "the question of operating restrictions on Chapter 3 aircraft", but adds that "no final conclusion was reached". Having been unable find common ground on the phase-out issue, CAEP elected "to leave policy issues to the ICAO Council and Assembly". Still before ICAO is the US Government's complaint against the European Commission (EC) over anti-noise regulations adopted by the latter.
The regulations effectively freeze at current levels the number of hushkitted aircraft able to serve EU airports, barring the 2,000 or so Chapter 2 aircraft already hushkitted or available for hushkitting which might otherwise be able to fly into Europe after being made Chapter 3 compliant. Had CAEP agreed transitional rules, the EC might have been prepared to drop the disputed regulations.
Brussels sources say the USA is pushing for Chapter 3 phase-out arrangements to be negotiated airport-by-airport, an approach said to be "completely unacceptable" to the EC. ICAO president Assad Kotaite will now try to break the logjam, with meetings this week with EC Transport Commissioner Loyola de Palacio and subsequently with US officials.
De Palacio is, however, pleased with CAEP's Chapter 4 recommendation, describing it as "an interesting step forward, with which we are happy". CAEP's approach to noise mitigation would effectively spread the burden - including aircraft operating restrictions, improved land use planning and control, and wider application of noise abatement operating procedures. More stringent noise limits were recommended for helicopters.
The 10dB noise reduction, advocated for civil transports (with procedures for re-certification of existing aircraft to meet the new standard) was essentially a compromise. The US Government and industry had proposed an 8dB cut, keeping marginally compliant Chapter 3 aircraft in service to the end of their useful lives, while others had backed a 14dB option, claiming it would encourage development of new technologies.
Source: Flight International