The US Federal Aviation Administration has begun to draft more stringent noise standards for US carriers under its Noise Abatement Policy 2000, anticipating that the International Civil Aviation Organisation will propose a Stage 4 aircraft noise standard to its Assembly in September 2001. The deadline for industry comment is 28 August.
The USA's updated aviation noise policy would include a broad policy statement against which guidelines will be set. "One of the cornerstones of the FAA's Year 2000 aviation noise abatement policy is the continuation of aircraft source noise reduction," says the FAA.
It says that a variety of approaches, including noise abatement technologies and flight procedures, improved aircraft designs and more refined airspace management procedures, makes it feasible to reduce aviation noise. "The FAA plans to set new Stage 4 standards resulting in a future timed transition to a generation of aircraft quieter than Stage 3."
The FAA anticipates that any future standards for supersonic transport aircraft will aim to produce no greater noise impact on a community than a subsonic aircraft certified to Stage 3 noise limits.
Meanwhile, the FAA plans to harmonise noise certification regulations with those of the European Joint Aviation Requirements (JAR) certification standards for transport aircraft.
Source: Flight International
