European Union Eyes Lowering Aircraft Noise Standards

[747FOCAL]

European Union Eyes Lowering Aircraft Noise Standards


By AviationNow.com Staff

28-Nov-2001 3:30 PM U.S. EST



The European Commission on Wednesday proposed introducing lower aircraft noise standards starting next April -- a move that could end a dispute between Europe and the United States over the use of noise-reducing mufflers known as "hush kits."

The proposed legislation -- which must be approved by the 15 European Union governments -- would adopt norms agreed by the International Civil Aviation Organization and which must be in place by 2006.

The new rules would set operating restrictions on noisy aircraft, including the possibility of banning them entirely at the worst-affected airports.

Meeting in Brussels, Belgium, the EC also authorized the Portuguese and Luxembourg governments to grant airlines emergency aid to cover for one month insurance risk for war and terrorism.

IS THIS THE CHAPTER 3 -5dB STUFF WE HAVE BEEN HEARING RUMORS ABOUT?

[PowerRanger]

This came about following on from the recent ICAO General Assembly meeting in Montreal that closed on 5 October.

Basically, a new Chapter 4/Stage 4 noise standard was agreed. The limit will be Stage 3/Chapter 3 minus 10 decibels.

It will be a mandatory requirement on all new aircraft types submitted for certification from 1 January 2006.

It is worth noting that most current production aircraft already meet this requirement.

Regarding the hushkitted former Stage 2 aircraft, Article 14 of the proposed directive repeals Regulation 925/1999 which was the cause of contention between the US and the EU.

Individual airports wil have the right to require marginally compliant aircraft (ie those meeting the Stage 3/Chapter 3 limit by a margin of 5 decibels or less) to be withdrawn from service to that airport over a period of not less than 5 years.

Of course, this being the EU and this is a draft Directive it has yet to go through the European Parliament etc and it may well change.

The Directive needs to be in place by 1 April 2002 if it is to replace the current hushkit regulations as agreed at the ICAO Assembly in October.

It is not clear however how quickly afterwards things might be put in place in individual states.