House of Commons Library Standard Note (SN00261) Aviation:Noise Pollution
Aviation noise is a source of constant annoyance to those who live under airport flight paths and for those subject to lower levels of disturbance caused by low flying smaller aircraft and helicopters. This form of noise pollution is explicitly excluded from general noise nuisance legislation.
This note sets out the general scale of the problem in terms of noise impacts not only from aircraft but from airport operations more generally and explains how this is measured and mapped. It then summarises a number of measures that can be used to reduce aviation noise. These are largely focused on the tackling the problem ‘at source’, i.e. through quieter aircraft design, and by discouraging the use of noisier aircraft through international standards and operational changes and incentives.
The note also outlines the position of the Coalition Government in this regard and sets out the views of the independent Airports Commission, tasked with looking into the future of UK airport capacity. The Commission published a discussion paper on aviation noise in July 2013 and an interim report, in which it recommended that the Government set up an Independent Aviation Noise Authority, in December 2013. The final report is expected sometime in 2015.