Research: Aviation Noise Impact Management

Research summary

• October 2017 to December 2021

The Aviation Noise Impact Management through Novel Approaches (ANIMA) project is helping to reduce the impact of aircraft noise on communities living near airports.

Traditional engineering approaches have significantly reduced the noise made by individual aircraft taking off and landing - but without residents reporting significantly better experiences, due to airport growth.

Instead, ANIMA focuses on improving the experiences of local residents by focusing on noise through a management lens.

Researchers have:

• Investigated the health implications of noise exposure, including annoyance and sleep deprivation
• Made recommendations on how airports can better communicate and engage with residents to understand their needs
• Provided guidance for industry on how to manage noise at an operational level, for example in designing airspace
• Developed an understanding of how airports can effectively contribute to residents’ quality of life

An online platform has been built to help capture community sentiment and experiences. It also provides noise management tools for airports and authorities, which create noise maps and simulates the impact of changes in flight patterns and aircraft types.

The platform also gives access to the Aviation Noise Research Roadmap, which supports policymakers in defining future policy and research goals.

Researchers at Manchester Met led the review of management approaches to noise and implications for policy.

They worked with airports such as Heathrow and Schiphol, Amsterdam to support the development of best practice across Europe – particularly for nations with emerging noise management responsibilities. The team also assessed the implications of airspace modernisation policy in the UK.

Research output

Academic papers

• Heyes, GA, Hooper, PD, Rajé, F and Sheppard, J (2021) The case for a design-led, end-user focused airport noise management process, Transport Research Part D, 95 (102847)

• Heyes, GA, Hooper, PD, Raje, F, Sainz-Pardo, AG, Burtea, N, Radulescu, D, Ohlenforst, B, Galatioto, F, Flindell, I and Dimitriu, D (2021) Exemplar case studies of aviation noise mitigation strategies in the European Union: a review of the communication and engagement state of the art, Sustainability (Sustainability Issues in Aviation Special Issue), 13, 6088

Reports

• Pan-European overview of existing knowledge and implementation of noise reduction strategies

• Noise impact mitigation priorities

• Recommendations on noise and health

• Recommendations on annoyance mitigation and implications for communication and engagement

• Critical review of balanced approach implementation across EU member states

• Overview of the use of noise footprints for different operational, planning and communication purposes

• Recommendations for the implementation of the exemplification case studies

• End user endorsed best practices

• Study to identify the gaps – quality of life indicators