Published: 15 June 2023

The FAA is reviewing it's noise policy as part of an ongoing committment to address aircraft noise. This effort aims to advance the scientific understanding of noise impacts, as well as the development of analytical tools and technologies.

Published: 13 September 2021

Each year, MAC staff prepares a seven-year Capital Improvements Program (CIP) for review and approval by the full Commission. A preliminary version of the 2022-2028 CIP listing is provided in September in order to give Commissioners, Affected Municipalities and the public an opportunity to see what is planned for the upcoming seven-year program, with specifics included for the proposed projects forthcoming for construction contract award in 2022.
The seven-year CIP includes projects for both the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport
(MSP) and the six airports in the Reliever Airport System. The majority of projects in the attached project listing focus on the rehabilitation and replacement of airport infrastructure, existing assets, and terminal systems to ensure that airport safety, security and operations are not compromised.

Click here for the plan.

Published: 20 March 2021

As many of you know, the Noise Oversight Committee (NOC) and it's member cities are diligent in trying to minimize aircraft noise for all residents of the Twin Cities.  The FAA and Department of Transportation welcomed input on noise problems and the attached are the relevant responses.

images/AirportNoise/3-15-21_MAC_and_NOC_Ltrs_to_FAA_and_DOT.pdf

images/AirportNoise/3-2-21_Eagan_Ltr_to_FAA_and_DOT_re_Noise.pdf

images/AirportNoise/3-8-21_Minneapolis_Ltr_to_FAA_and_DOT_re_Noise.pdf

Published: 16 September 2020

The FAA has reported to congress on April 14, 2020 about noise metrics.  Click FAA Report to Congress for the report.  

The Minneapolis-St. Paul International (MSP) Airport is a busy international airport in a major metropolitan area. Even though there have been more people traveling in and out of the two terminals, the number of flights remain consistent to what they were in the recent past.

The MAC understands that there are noise concerns from neighborhoods around the airport and maintains a 24-hour noise complaint and information hotline.

File complaints directly with Metropolitan Airports Commission (MAC)

Residents affected by aircraft noise may file an aircraft noise complaint directly with MAC online at www.macnoise.com/our-neighbors/file-noise-complaint or they may call the hotline at 612-726-9411.

There are benefits to filing a complaint directly with MAC. It allows their staff to track the complaints, answer questions, provide data, and help residents understand aircraft activity. It’s important to note the FAA makes the decisions on how and where aircraft fly. The MAC Board may make recommendations to the FAA on how to adjust airport operations so that noise impacts are minimized going forward; however, it will not be done if it impedes safetyor airport efficiency.

Published: 14 February 2020

07-07-20:  In April, the FAA issued a Notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) to add new supersonic airplanes to the applicability of noise certification regulations, and proposes landing and takeoff noise standards for a certain class of new supersonic airplanes. For ease, I have included the executive summary of the NPRM below:

“Current noise certification regulations do not include standards for supersonic airplanes other than the Concorde. In its 2018 reauthorization, the FAA was directed to exercise leadership in the creation of Federal and international policies, regulations, and standards relating to the certification and the safe and efficient operation of civil supersonic aircraft. This rulemaking is a step in that process. The agency is proposing to amend the noise certification regulations in Title 14, Code of Federal Regulations (14 CFR) parts 21 and 36 to provide for new supersonic airplanes, and to add subsonic landing and takeoff (LTO) cycle standards for supersonic airplanes that have a maximum takeoff weight no greater than 150,000 pounds and a maximum operating cruise speed up to Mach 1.8. This proposal is based in part on the Supersonic Transport Concept Airplane (STCA) studies performed by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), information provided to the FAA by U.S. industry, and the continuing work of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Committee on Aviation Environmental Protection (CAEP). These proposed certification standards would provide a means to certificate these airplanes for noise for subsonic operation domestically, but would not affect the prohibition in 14 CFR 91.817 on the creation of sonic booms (i.e., supersonic operations over land in the United States would remain prohibited).

 This proposed rule would (1) amend the applicability of part 36 to include new supersonic airplanes for which type certification is requested after a final rule takes effect, (2) revise the definition of supersonic airplane to include newly certificated airplanes but exclude the Concorde, (3) provide noise certification reference procedures to be used for all supersonic airplanes, and (4) establish noise limits for takeoff and landing that would apply to Supersonic Level 1 (SSL1) airplanes, as defined in the proposed regulation. The proposed standards include noise limits that are quieter than the Stage 4 limits at which most of the current subsonic jet fleet operates, though louder than the current certification level of Stage 5 for the same aircraft weights. The proposed standards would allow Variable Noise Reduction Systems (VNRS) to be used for noise certification testing, and if used for certification, would require the system to be activated during normal operations.”

 There are a few summary takeaway items to note from the full NPRM:

• These certifications only consider the landing and takeoff (LTO) cycle, not the sonic boom noise. The overland sonic boom restriction is not proposed to be lifted through this NPRM

• This NPRM only applies to aircraft less than 150,000 pounds and less than Mach 1.8 cruise speed
• These certifications are being considered due to FAA Reauthorization 2018 language
• The certifications as proposed would be allow aircraft to be louder than current subsonic Stage 5 limitations

 Because the domestic over land supersonic restriction is not proposed to be lifted through this process, it is expected that when this class of aircraft is introduced into the fleet, it will operate near the coasts.  Despite this expectation, I have been participating on an airport industry panel that discussed how Airports Council International – North America (ACI-NA) would comment on the NPRM. It is also expected that the production and operation of this aircraft category will benefit some airports that do not have noise concerns, thus ACI-NA will be commenting in a manner that balances the benefits against potential noise impacts. As ACI-NA will comment with a more subtle tone, the MAC submitted a comment letter that expressly objects to the proposed noise standards being less stringent than subsonic aircraft types. That comment letter is attached.

The full NPRM and current listing of comments received can be found here: https://www.regulations.gov/document?D=FAA-2020-0316-0001

Noise Certification for Supersonic Airplanes NPRM