Aircraft noise is a perennial nuisance that affects people living around airports and is a key issue when consideration is given to airport growth. Aircraft have become much quieter since the first jets took to the skies (about a 70% improvement) but the number of movements has increased dramatically and the average size of aircraft is growing. The issue remain as controversial around airports as ever, especially in relation to night flying.

The industry continues to research and develop new technologies for aircraft and airframes but slow fleet turnover means that benefits are also slow to filter through. Airports and airlines continue to examine operational practices that will reduce operational noise.

Omega partners are looking both at the prospects for quieter technologies as well as at the relationship between airports and their surrounding communities. Better understanding of how people experience noise and improving the flow and quality of information about flight activity helps in devising better control measures and in planning operations for reduced disturbance. The partnership is also looking at the noise from emerging technologies, such as ‘open rotor’ engines that promise to be much more fuel efficient. Looking at long-term technologies is a part of the programme where novel solutions on airframe and engine configurations may help to achieve a more radical change in noise performance.

Omega has several workshops during 2008 dedicated to improving knowledge on the public perceptions of noise and how to improve noise performance of future aircraft. In all this we are working with the key stakeholders in the industry and in Government.