Contribution
On the development of aircraft noise levels from the example of Munich Airport
* Presenting author
Abstract:
Aircraft noise in the vicinity of airports is a serious impact of air traffic. Over the past decades, air traffic volume has continuously increased. At the same time, aircraft technology has improved, for instance of aircraft jet engines. The question may be posed: How much have noise levels increased along with the growth in air traffic during the last three decades? At Munich Airport, noise levels have been measured since 1992, currently at 16 noise monitoring terminals. While in 1992, annual passenger numbers were at around 12.0 million, the passenger volume rose to 23.1 Mio. in 2000, 34.7 Mio. in 2010, and 47.9 Mio. in 2019. Aircraft movement numbers have increased, too, yet at lower rates. From this background, the results of long-term noise measurements at Munich Airport are discussed. In particular, equivalent sound levels (Leq) are assessed as well as Number Above Threshold (NAT) criteria. Finally, correlations between air traffic growth and noise level development are discussed.