01/08/2019 - Airport Relations CommissionAGENDA
EAGAN AIRPORT RELATIONS COMMISSION MEETING
EAGAN MUNICIPAL CENTER
CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS
TUESDAY, JANUARY 8, 2019
7:00 PM
I.ROLL CALL AND ADOPTION OF THE AGENDA
II.APPROVAL OF MINUTES
III.VISITORS TO BE HEARD
IV.PRESENTATIONS
A.KEN COX, LARSON DAVIS
V.OLD BUSINESS
A.MAC MONTHLY REPORTS
VI.NEW BUSINESS
A.REVIEW MOBILE NOISE MONITOR PROPOSED LOCATIONS
VII.STAFF/COMMISSIONER REPORT
A.2018 NOISE OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE ACCOMPLISHMENTS
B.MAC’S STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT PLAN FOR THE MSP 2040 LONG
TERM COMPREHENSIVE PLAN
C.CONVERGING RUNWAY OPERATIONS (CRO) UPDATE
D.CONTINUATION OF NOVEMBER ARC MEETING CONVERSATION
PERTAINING TO COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
E.WALL STREET JOURNAL ARTICLE
F.COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS
VIII.ROUNDTABLE
IX.ADJOURNMENT
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Memo
To: Airport Relations Commission
From: Dianne Miller, Assistant City Administrator
Date: January 3, 2019
Subject: January 8, 2019 ARC Meeting
The Eagan Airport Relations Commission will meet on Tuesday, January 8, in the City
Council Chambers at Eagan City Hall. To ensure a quorum is present, please contact
Executive Assistant Cheryl Stevenson at (651) 675-5005 or cstevenson@cityofeagan.com
if you are unable to attend the meeting.
I. ROLL CALL AND ADOPTION OF THE AGENDA
The agenda, as presented or modified, is in order for adoption by the Commission.
II. APPROVAL OF MINUTES
The minutes of the November 13, 2018 ARC meeting are enclosed on pages 7-9.
These minutes are in order for adoption by the Commission.
III. VISITORS TO BE HEARD
The Eagan City Council and its Commissions set aside up to ten minutes at the
beginning of public meetings to permit visitors to address items of interest that are not
addressed on the regular agenda. Items that will take more than ten minutes or that
require specific action can be scheduled for a future meeting agenda.
IV. PRESENTATIONS
A. Ken Cox, Larson Davis—Per the 2018-2019 ARC Work Plan, Ken Cox of Larson
Davis will be in attendance to speak to the science behind how noise is perceived. Mr.
Cox is an electrical engineer and has more than 25 years’ experience designing and
managing products used in the worker safety and acoustic measurement industries. Mr.
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Cox previously addressed the Noise Oversight Committee with a “Sound Measurement
101.” He will provide a similar presentation to the ARC.
V. OLD BUSINESS
A. MAC Monthly Reports – Enclosed on pages 10-14 is the monthly summary report
for the month of November 2018 from the Metropolitan Airport Commission (MAC). The
MAC has combined several of their reports into one document, intended to be more
user friendly to those less familiar with aircraft operations. To view the more detailed
data pertaining to runway usage, complaints, sound monitoring, and noise abatement
go to: https://www.macenvironment.org/reports/. The data on the reports is best viewed
online as the website is interactive. The December reports are available online, but the
monthly summary report for December was not yet available at the time the ARC packet
was prepared.
VI. NEW BUSINESS
A. Review Mobile Noise Monitor Proposed Locations—Dana Nelson, Manager of
the MAC Strategy & Stakeholder Engagement Division, will be in attendance to review
the outline of the 2019 Eagan Mobile Monitoring Study, which is enclosed on pages
15-16. The two sites proposed as locations for the mobile monitors are Thomas Lake
Park and Mueller Farm Park (adjacent to Woodland Elementary School). Ms. Nelson will
be speak to why they are suggesting these two parks as the locations of choice. The
data collection is proposed to take place May 1-15, 2019 (two consecutive weeks). The
Commission is encouraged to dialogue with Ms. Nelson about the proposed study.
VII. STAFF / COMMISSIONER REPORT
A.2018 Noise Oversight Committee Accomplishments—Enclosed on pages 17-21
is a summary of the 2018 accomplishments and 2019 Work Plan of the MSP Noise
Oversight Committee (NOC). Assistant City Administrator Miller, who also serves as the
Co-Chair of the NOC, presented the accomplishments and 2019 NOC Work Plan to the
MAC’s Planning, Development, and Environment Committee at their December
meeting. Per Eagan’s request, an item was added to the 2019 NOC Work Plan to
conduct a Runway 17 analysis to evaluate departure operations and heading trends.
The analysis will include a review of nighttime operations, which was a request made by
Eagan residents at the MAC’s Fall Listening Session.
B.MAC’s Stakeholder Engagement Plan for the MSP 2040 Long Term
Comprehensive Plan—Enclosed on pages 22-24 is a summary of the approach the
MAC plans to take as they embark on their 2040 Long Term Comprehensive Plan
(LTCP).
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C.Converging Runway Operations (CRO) Update—At the most recent NOC
meeting, Sean Fortier, FAA Tower Manager, provided an update on CRO. Mr. Fortier
noted that the FAA is working on a long-term strategy to mitigate CRO within the MSP
footprint, which could mean additional adjustments to operations in and out of MSP.
Furthermore, Mr. Fortier noted the FAA will be determining the appropriate
environmental review that will be needed after any adjustments are made. He added
that the FAA is looking to create standardized procedures that comply with CRO. Mr.
Fortier did not provide any specific answers on the extent of the environmental review or
when such a review would occur. The ARC will continue to be updated as additional
information on CRO becomes available.
Following Mr. Fortier’s CRO update, Assistant City Administrator Miller raised several
questions that were communicated to the ARC from residents at the November 13
meeting. At the January ARC meeting, Ms. Miller will provide a verbal summary of Mr.
Fortier’s responses. Several Eagan ARC members were in attendance at the
November 28 NOC meeting and can also speak to the dialogue that took place.
D.Continuation of November ARC Meeting Conversation Pertaining to
Community Engagement—At the November ARC meeting, the Commission and
residents in attendance conversed about the joint meeting with the City Council held in
October. There was a request that an item be added to the January ARC agenda to
allow commissioners not in attendance in November to offer their thoughts on how the
Commission, in accordance with the ARC Mission, can best work together with the
community on efforts to reduce aircraft noise. A recommendation was made in
November to send correspondence to newly elected Congresswoman Angie Craig to
make her aware of the issue of aircraft noise in Eagan. A letter to Congresswoman
Craig is currently being drafted, and will speak to several, federal legislative issues
impacting the City, including aircraft noise and the impact of CRO.
E.Wall Street Journal Article—Enclosed on pages 25-29 is a Wall Street Journal
article speaking to a new study that is evaluating the impact on aircraft noise if planes
depart at slower speeds.
The article was shared with MAC Manager Dana Nelson, who shared the following
observations:
…MIT is doing some great work on developing procedure recommendations for Boston
Logan Airport to reduce noise. The reduced speed climb is one of them. There are a
few things to mention as part of the ongoing effort:
•MIT reported modeled noise benefits – this has not yet been flight tested for
feasibility which also means empirical sound data has not been collected to
validate the model.
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•There are known issues from reduced speed climbs: (1) it increases fuel burn
and flight time; (2) it reduces runway/airport throughput; (3) it is nonstandard,
relative to normal operating procedures; and (4) not all aircraft would be able to
perform reduced speed climbs due to size and weight making minimum
operating speeds higher than 220 kts.
These issues are not insurmountable, but they are important to include in the
conversation about pros and cons. The FAA and MIT are working to evaluate reduced
speed climbs further and we are watching closely. We actually participated in several
conference calls with this MIT research team and sent them several years of flight track,
noise monitoring and complaint data from MSP to assist in their study. They are working
to better understand and minimize the above issues, flight test the concept to collect
aircraft noise data for comparison, and evaluate how this relates to Noise Abatement
Departure Profiles.
Staff will keep the ARC updated as additional information becomes available about the
study.
F. Community Connections—The City is hosting Community Connections on
Saturday, March 2, 11 am-3pm, at the Eagan Community Center. The Commission is
encouraged to discuss whether they’d like to have a booth at the event.
VIII. ROUNDTABLE
Per the request of the Commission, this agenda item has been added so that
Commissioners can ask questions or make requests for future agenda items.
IX. ADJOURNMENT
Per the request of the Commission, the Eagan ARC meetings will go no later than 8:30
p.m. unless agreed upon by the Commission.
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/s/Dianne E. Miller_______
Assistant City Administrator
ARC Purpose: To advise and make recommendations to the City Council on issues of
aircraft noise and airport policies that impact or have the potential to impact the community.
ARC Mission: The Airport Relations Commission (ARC) recognizes the burden of aircraft
noise is balanced by the economic benefits of being a neighbor to MSP Airport. The ARC,
under the direction of the City Council, will work in partnership with the Metropolitan Airports
Commission (MAC), the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and the residents of Eagan
to make recommendations on reducing the burden of aircraft noise in Eagan without
jeopardizing safety.
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MINUTES OF THE EAGAN
AIRPORT RELATIONS COMMISSION MEETING
NOVEMBER 13, 2018
A meeting of the Eagan Airport Relations Commission was held on Tuesday, November 13, 2018 at 7:00
p.m. Those present were Charles Thorkildson, Michael Johnson, Debra Dulligner, Jeff Spartz, Theresa
Hughes, Philippe Girard and Assistant City Administrator Miller. Dan Johnson and Joseph Axmacher
were absent.
AGENDA
Commissioner Spartz moved, Commissioner Johnson seconded a motion to approve the agenda as
presented. All members voted in favor.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES
Commissioner Johnson moved, Commissioner Spartz seconded a motion to approve the minutes of
September 11, 2018 ARC meeting and subsequent workshop. All members voted in favor.
VISITORS TO BE HEARD
David Hughes, 3344 Sibley Memorial Highway, addressed the Commission regarding airplane noise.
OLD BUSINESS
MAC Monthly Reports
Assistant City Administrator Miller noted the printout of the MAC monthly reports for September 2018
were provided. The October reports came out last week and were provided electronically.
The Commission provided feedback on the monthly reports.
Ted Gladhill, 1153 Blue Heron Court, addressed the Commission with concerns regarding the runway
departure reports.
Assistant City Administrator Miller noted per the recommendation of the Noise Oversight Committee
(NOC) subcommittee, the NOC will be holding an evening meeting on November 28, 2018 at 6:30 p.m.
to better accommodate members of the public who are unable to attend during daytime hours.
After further discussion, Commissioner Thorkildson suggested the ARC draft a letter with their concerns
to Congress woman elect Angie Craig.
Debrief on October 9 City Council Workshop
Assistant City Administrator Miller noted Commissioners requested an opportunity to discuss takeaways
from the conversation with the City Council at the Council workshop on October 9. There was a desire
expressed by commissioners to discuss how the Commission, in accordance with the ARC mission, can
best work together with the community on efforts to reduce aircraft noise.
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Commissioner Johnson suggested holding this item until the next ARC meeting. All Commissioners
agreed.
Chair Thorkildson opened the public comment.
Steve Henry, 3741 Falcon Way, addressed the Commission noting he attended the Council meeting to
discuss airplane noise.
NEW BUSINESS
Next Generation and Stage V Updates
Assistant City Administrator Miller noted this is a standing agenda item to provide an opportunity to
anyone on the Commission who may have updates or information to share regarding Next Generation
Aviation and/or Stage V aircraft.
Commissioner Johnson suggested removing the Next Generation and Stage V updates as a standing
item, and instead, commissioners can bring items up under Roundtable. All Commissioners agreed.
Noise Oversight Committee Draft Work Plan
Assistant City Administrator Miller noted the draft 2019 Noise Oversight Committee Work Plan was
enclosed in the packet for the ARC’s review. The Commission is welcome to make comments or
recommendations on the work plan. Miller noted the NOC will formally consider the work plan at their
November 28, 2018 meeting.
STAFF / COMMISSIONER REPORT
November 28, 2018 NOC Meeting
Assistant City Administrator Miller noted the November 28 NOC meeting is an evening meeting starting
at 6:30 p.m. at the MAC Offices in Minneapolis. The public is welcome to attend.
Approved 2018-2019 ARC Work Plan
Assistant City Administration Miller noted the 2018-2019 ARC work plan was approved by the City
Council on October 16, 2018.
ROUNDTABLE
There were no roundtable items.
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ADJOURNMENT
Upon motion by Commissioner Johnson, seconded by Commissioner Dullinger the meeting adjourned at
8:37 p.m. All members voted in favor.
__________________________ _________________________________
Date Secretary
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Eagan Mobile Monitoring Study 2019 – Outline
Purpose
Collect quality recordings and measurements of aircraft noise events associated with Minneapolis-St.
Paul International Airport that occur in the City of Eagan, in accordance with established Mobile Sound
Monitoring Guidelines. The objective of the study is to compare data collected from the mobile
equipment with data being collected at the MAC’s permanent monitoring sites in Eagan, particularly
sites 25 and 37.
Suggested timing and duration of the study
Target start date of Wednesday, May 1, 2019 with data collection for two consecutive weeks.
The data will be presented in a report at the July 9 Eagan ARC and July 17 NOC meetings.
Number of mobile noise monitors and siting criteria
This study will use two monitoring locations with a back-up site determined for unanticipated challenges
during the monitoring period. The location of the mobile monitors will be in accordance with established
Mobile Sound Monitoring Guidelines as follows:
• Located to monitor aircraft operations at MSP
o Under known aircraft flight paths
• Where flight operations are at altitudes, concentrations, and configurations creating sound
levels above community sound levels
• Away from known community sound sources (such as large arterial roads, train tracks, factories,
and transit centers and other gathering spots)
• In areas where the permanent sound monitoring sites are not already monitoring aircraft noise
levels
• Predominantly residential
• Within 100 feet of electrical power
• On public property
Proposed locations (see graphic below)
1. Thomas Lake Park
2. Mueller Farm Park
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A back-up site would be Patrick Eagan Park in the event that either of the above targeted locations pose
unforeseen challenges. If a monitor is moved to the back-up site, MAC staff will extend the monitoring
period to monitor for two consecutive weeks. MAC staff will communicate any location changes and/or
scheduling changes to the City of Eagan as soon as possible.
What the data will provide
• A comparison of sound data collected from the mobile equipment and sound data collected at
permanent noise monitoring sites in Eagan will reveal if gaps exist.
• An assessment of mobile data collected will determine aircraft noise levels and community
noise levels in the areas where the mobile equipment is placed.
What the data will NOT provide
• Residential sound insulation eligibility
• Changes to annual DNL noise contours
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MSP Noise Oversight Committee
2018 Accomplishments & 2019 Work Plan
NOC Co-Chair Jeff Hart, Delta Air Lines
NOC Co-Chair Dianne Miller, City of Eagan
The Metropolitan Airports Commission Planning, Development and Environment Committee
December 3, 2018
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MSP Noise Oversight Committee Mission
The NOC is an advisory board to bring industry and community representatives together to make
policy recommendations to the MAC.
Provide a balanced forum for the discussion and evaluation of noise impacts around Minneapolis-St.
Paul International Airport through the following functions:
•Identify, study, and analyze airport noise issues and solutions
•Provide policy recommendations or options to the MAC Planning, Development and
Environment Committee and full Commission regarding airport noise issues
•Monitor compliance with established noise policy at MSP
•Ensure the collection of information and dissemination to the public.
The above functions will be conducted in a manner that considers public and airport user concerns.
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2018 Accomplishments: Areas of Focus
Enhanced NOC meeting accessibility and citizen involvement:
•Developed Bylaw Review Subcommittee
•Made changes to public comment procedure at NOC meetings
•Held the November NOC meeting during the evening to be more accessible to the public
•Held 4 quarterly Listening Sessions
•Co-Sponsored an Eagan Listening Session with the Eagan Airport Relations Commission
•Held an open discussion to solicit ideas from citizens on what they would like the NOC to consider for its 2019 Work Plan
Education through expert presentations, studies and updates
•Received presentations from Doug Christensen, Boeing ecoDemonstrator Program Lead and Brian Ryks, MAC Executive
Director/CEO
•Conducted an MSP Noise Management Benchmarking Study to detail the regulatory constraints imposed on U.S airport
noise programs; provide an independent comparison of the MAC Noise Program Office efforts to peer airports; and
identify opportunities
•Received updates from the FAA on MSP Converging Runway Operations
Responded to and took action on MSP FairSkies Requests
•Confirmed the current membership of the NOC is critical to achieving its mission
•Formalized a NOC committee goal: To provide residential sound mitigation out to the actual 60 dB DNL noise
contour by the year 2024
2017 Annual Noise Contour Report and MAC’s Residential Noise Mitigation Program
•Received an update on the MAC’s progressive residential mitigation program, which totals $482.9 million in spending
since its inception. 939 residences were invited to participate in the noise mitigation program for the 2017-2019 period,
with the types and numbers of residences invited to participate per year as follows:
o 2017 Mitigation Program: 138 single-family homes and 88 multi-family structures
o 2018 Mitigation Program: 283 single-family homes
o 2019 Mitigation Program: 430 single-family homes 19
2019 MSP NOC WORK PLAN
1.RESIDENTIAL NOISE MITIGATION PROGRAM
a.Review Residential Noise Mitigation Program Status Implementation
2.MSP NOISE PROGRAM SPECIFIC EFFORTS
a.Review the 2018 Actual Noise Contour Report and Residential Noise Mitigation Program Eligibility
b.Improve the User Experience of the MAC Noise and Operations Monitoring System (MACNOMS)
c.Conduct an MSP Fleet Mix and Nighttime Operations Assessment
d.Report the Status of Aviation Noise, Environment, and Health-Related Research Initiatives
e.Update on Converging Runway Operations at MSP
f.Update on the MSP Long Term Comprehensive Plan and Associated Stakeholder Engagement
g.Update on the FAA’s Survey to Re-Evaluate Noise Measurement Methods
h.Evaluate Noise Management Benchmarking Study findings and discuss considerations
i.Conduct an evaluation of Runway 17 departure operations and heading usage trends
3.CONTINUE REVIEW OF PUBLIC INPUT
a.Continue to Review Input Received from quarterly Listening Sessions as Possible Agenda Items
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COMMITTEE ACTION REQUESTED
RECOMMEND TO THE FULL COMMISSION APPROVAL OF THE 2019 NOISE
OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE WORK PLAN.
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A New Antidote for Noisy
Airports: Slower Planes
The solution could make a big difference for neighbors plugging their ears
in Boston and other cities
By
Scott McCartney
March 7, 2018 8:39 a.m. ET
Boston
An MIT scientist has discovered a simple way to battle the airplane noise that’s
become a major nuisance in several cities: Slow the planes down.
It turns out engines aren’t the major culprit anymore. New airplanes are much
quieter. It’s the “whoosh” that big airplanes make racing through the air. Computer
models suggest slowing departures by 30 knots—about 35 miles an hour—would
reduce noise on the ground significantly.
Your flight will last a few seconds longer, and airlines will burn a few more gallons
of fuel. But “hundreds of thousands of people would get some reduction and for tens
of thousands, it would go from problematic to not problematic,” says John Hansman,
an aeronautics professor and director of the International Center for Air
Transportation at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
“It’s an intriguing idea, because it could be used in a lot of places,” says Jim Hileman,
chief scientific and technical adviser for environment at the Federal Aviation
Administration.
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A community group mapped Boston Logan Airport flights departing to the northwest from 2013 (in
green) and 2015 (in red), after the FAA began using new routes. Precision navigation concentrates
planes over certain neighborhoods, creating new noise issues. (Data source: Massport) PHOTO: KENT
JOHNSON
The FAA says it’s impressed and is moving forward with recommendations Boston
has made. It’s already fast-tracked one: A new route coming in July will move more
flights over water and away from the town of Hull, Mass. A working group is forming
to evaluate the main recommendation to slow departing jets to a speed limit of 220
knots during the climb to 10,000 feet, down from 250 knots.
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The agency jointly funded the MIT study with the Massachusetts Port Author ity,
operator of Logan Airport, and works a lot with Mr. Hansman, who leads an FAA
technology advisory committee.
THE MIDDLE SEAT
Airplane noise is a decades-old problem that was largely silenced by quieter jets.
But in the past three years it has come roaring back in communities across the
country as the FAA has rolled out a new generation of precision navigation.
The routes are designed to save fuel and move departing and arriving jets faster,
reducing delays and congestion. But there’s an unintended consequence: Because
each plane flies the exact route as the one before it and the one behind it, some
homes get bombarded with noise. Previously, flights fanned out more and noise was
dispersed.
New routes put planes over quiet communities. Complaints soared. Phoenix
neighborhoods sued the FAA; Chicago neighborhoods are pushing for rotating
runway use. Neighborhoods from California to Washington, D.C., are fighting the
new procedures that airlines and the FAA insist are vital to future travel.
“Everyone was looking at the wrong problem,” says Thomas Glynn, chief executive
of Massport. “It’s a concentration problem. It’s a frequency problem. It’s not really a
noise problem.”
Mr. Glynn says he realized how serious this problem was when Myron Kassaraba,
the Belmont, Mass., representative on the Massport Community Advisory
Committee, showed him a map software engineer Kent Johnson put together with
flight-track data. The flights before the navigation change were spread out all over
with thin green lines. The flights after were bunched in a thick red line.
“The change before and after became apparent both visually and numerically,” says
Mr. Kassaraba, a financial consultant. Belmont, just over 10 miles west of Logan, had
never had a noise issue. Suddenly airplane noise was distracting conversations,
work and backyard relaxing.
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He calls the speed modification “a step in the right direction.”
Alan Wright, another member of the advisory committee, lives in the Roslindale
section of Boston, about 10 miles southwest of Logan. He says with airlines’
expanding schedules, planes start overhead about 5:15 a.m.
“The flights wake you up. We get a lot of complaints from young families with
children,” says Mr. Wright, a data analyst who works from home for a major health -
care company.
Many communities, including those around Logan, are pushing for the FAA to come
up with ways to disperse the concentrated routes. An effort in Charlotte, N.C., for
example, has controllers instructing planes to join the precision route after reaching
a certain altitude. Since planes climb and turn at different rates, flight tracks vary
slightly.
Noise is a tricky thing. Neighborhoods that had little noise can often be more
sensitive to change, experts say, and individual tolerance varies. In Boston, an
analysis suggested only 54% of the complaints Massport received resulted from
noise louder than 45 decibels—about the level of background noise. When it’s
relentless, you notice it more.
Mr. Hansman says he didn’t expect a speed reduction to make much difference, since
engines would be working just as hard in a climb. But it did.
“It makes perfect sense,” he says. “The loudest guy in the room is the one you hear.
And airframe noise is highly dependent on speed.”
Computer simulations found that a limit of 220 knots turned out to be the sweet
spot—that’s where aircraft noise equals engine noise. Planes would climb at a
slightly steeper rate. With a 30-knot reduction, noise directly under the flight track
would decrease by between 1.5 and 5 decibels and the footprint on the ground
would get a lot skinnier, sharply reducing the number of people affected, Mr.
Hansman says.
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A typical Boeing 737 would burn about seven additional gallons of jet fuel and take
about 30 seconds longer to get to 10,000 feet, where planes can accelerate and noise
impact dissipates, Mr. Hansman says. Massport says 30 seconds a flight won’t make
a meaningful difference in delays or airport capacity.
Airlines, never eager to burn more fuel, have nonetheless cooperated so
far. JetBlue in particular has aided the Boston effort. “We have a lot of work to do to
validate this, but let’s get to it. It’s a good deal,” says Joe Bertapelle, JetBlue’s director
of strategic airspace programs. The industry trade association Airlines for America
has offered cautious support of the Boston recommendations. In a statement, the
group said the changes must be safe, work with a variety of aircraft and not reduce
the airport’s capacity for takeoffs and landings.
Some planes, such as heavily loaded jumbo jets, will still need to go faster than 220
knots, Mr. Hansman says. Air-traffic controllers will need to delay a departure a bit
to put more room between a slower plane and a faster one, or modify its course
slightly. Massport says that’s workable, too.
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