Stricter noise standards for new aircraft have emerged from the latest meeting of ICAO's Committee on Aviation Environmental Protection (CAEP) held in mid-January. However, the group was unable to reach agreement on a timetable to phase out the noisiest of the in-service Chapter 3 types.
CAEP has put forward a new noise standard 10dB quieter than the current Chapter 3. This would become effective from January 2006, but would only apply to new aircraft. The failure to agree transitional rules for phasing out the noisiest Chapter 3 aircraft disappointed the European Commission (EC), which wants to outlaw hushkitted Chapter 3 aircraft by April 2002. This move is bitterly opposed by the US.
Brussels had hoped that the issue could effectively have been disposed of via an agreement on transitional phase-out rules. But neither the US nor developing countries were prepared to make substantive moves in that direction. US operators fear their marginal aircraft will lose value if there is a phase out programme while many hushkitted aircraft are registered in developing countries.
The USA "still wants phase-out arrangements to be negotiated airport-by-airport, which is completely unacceptable", said one Brussels insider. Airports were also disappointed at the lack of progress. Further airport expansion is threatened by continuing use of noisy aircraft, and the Airports Council International has asked that types meeting current limits by less than 5dB be phased out by 2005.
Brussels notes, however, that CAEP recommendations must be approved by the ICAO Council and its Assembly in September. ICAO president Assad Kotaite is trying to mediate between the EC and USA to find a resolution to the dispute.
Source: Airline Business
