Can you sue airport for noise pollution?

Aircraft operators, at least for airports in most first world countries, must comply with the noise operating restrictions and noise abatement procedures or risk fines and other penalties. You can sue, but you probably won't win unless airport and airline operators are in violation of established rules and regulations.



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While FAA's Aviation Noise Ombudsman is the public liaison for aircraft noise, it's best to first contact the local airport office staff or manager to address concerns about changes in flight patterns, hours of flights in your community, or airport or aircraft noise.

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In the United States, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulates airspace, aircraft, pilots, airports, flight procedures and aircraft noise.

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The impacts of aircraft noise at night are particularly pronounced. A large scale study around Heathrow Airport found that people living under the flightpath were 10-20% more at risk to stroke and heart disease than those not living under the flight path.

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Many airports have established highly successful noise abatement or mitigation programs outside of the Part 150 process, by working proactively with neighboring communities and user groups to address the same objectives.

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Aircraft noise is intermittent in nature and exposure to it during the night may result in sleep disturbance. Noise-induced sleep disturbance refers to awakenings, changes to sleep structure such as changes to sleep stages, arousals in heart rate, and body movements.

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A Transportation Industry Analyst will forward your complaint to the airline and the airline is required to respond to you and DOT. Once the airline's response is received, a DOT analyst will review your complaint and the airline's response to determine if a violation occurred.

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During the day, when the air is warmer than the ground, noise energy from an airplane staying in the air, so while you can still hear it, it seems quieter. Conversely, at night, when the ground is warmer than the air, the noise is drawn down, making it seem louder.

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Aircraft noise at high levels can be considered a stressor on the body, and research has found an association between high levels of aircraft noise and an increased risk of developing Cardiovascular disease (CVD).

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For easier leisure travel, consider Wednesday and Thursday, excludes Thanksgiving Weekend. Saturdays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays also come in as the cheapest days to fly, because they're not popular travel days. Due to popularity, Sundays and Fridays are usually the most expensive days to fly.

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Imagine you mute all the airport announcements. It is as if you put on noise-canceling headphones, and everything becomes quiet. The airports aim to make the traveling experience more relaxing for passengers by reducing the noise pollution inside the terminal.

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Aircraft noise intrusion, we learned, occurs until well after 11pm, and often before 6am. People up to 20 miles away from major airports have reported frequent and intrusive noise impacts. And it's not just people who live close to airports who are affected.

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Living near an airport can have negative effects on health and quality of life due to noise pollution and air pollution from aircrafts. The noise from airplanes can disrupt sleep, increase stress levels and lead to hearing loss.

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A study of noise on Airbus A321 aircraft reported levels of 60-65 decibels (dBA) before takeoff; 80-85 dBA during flight; and 75-80 dBA during landing. The outside of aircraft engines (around 140 dB at takeoff) and conditions on other aircraft may have higher or lower noise levels.

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Published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives, the study found that people who were exposed to airplane noise at levels as low as 45 dB were more likely to sleep less than 7 hours per night.

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