Aircraft noise pollution remains an issue for the millions of people worldwide living around airports. Despite efforts made to create quieter aircraft, some airports have taken measures into their own hands when assessing the problem. Airport curfews are a popular tactic in attempts to reduce aircraft noise pollution, and although it has positive effects for the surrounding residents, it can create chaos for the passengers.
An airport curfew isn’t something that passengers normally have to consider when booking flights, especially since red-eye flights can be very convenient for international flyers. Airports with busy residential neighborhoods surrounding them are targeted with these curfews, but what exactly is the curfew and how does it affect both the airport and the passengers? These curfews restrict airline operations either late at night or at early hours of the morning in hopes of protecting the health of the surrounding residents. This means that aircraft aren’t allowed to take-off or land at certain hours of the day, usually between the hours of 10 P.M. to 7 A.M, but times vary depending on the airport and location.
Download the Whitepaper: Achieving Quieter Aircraft Through Simulation
Some aircraft in particular, like emergency planes and some freighter planes are exempt from these curfew laws, but passenger planes for the most part have to follow these rules. These restrictions are taken very seriously, with fines ranging from a couple thousand dollars to a couple hundred thousand, since this is one of the only methods protecting the surrounding residents from noise pollution. With the help of simulation, engineers will be able to calculate noise levels surrounding aircraft without having to build-up mechanical prototypes and test flights. Focusing on aeroacoustic performance early in the simulation process will not only make the design process easier, and will have a beneficial outcome for the residents surrounding these airports and the passengers flying.
Using simulation to determine where the source of the noise is coming from, and creating aircraft where noise can be reduced will give a competitive edge to these specific airports enforcing curfews. Eliminating these airport curfews will not only make passenger flying experience less chaotic, but would also benefit all parties with reduced costs, better quality products, community approval and more.
Flying can be a stressful point in somebody’s day, whether it’s being on time, terminal changes, delays and more. A major difference when it comes to airport curfews is that one delay in the schedule causes a major disturbance, leaving passengers to deal with this issue last minute. One example of an issue that comes with this curfew is when an inbound flight is running late, if the plane is off the schedule and won’t make it in time they are now forced to land at a different airport. This is just one of several issues that occur for passengers facing airport curfews, but with the help of SIMULIA software, these disturbances will soon be problems of the past.
Click Here to get a better understanding of Aircraft Community Noise with our whitepaper that goes into detail about this issue. Also check out the SIMULIA Solution and a customer story from NASA.
Katie is the Editor of the SIMULIA blog, an expert in engineering and scientific communication, and a strategic digital marketer. Katie has a BA in English and Writing from the University of Rhode Island and a MS in Technical Communication from Northeastern University. She is also a proud SIMULIA advocate, passionate about democratizing simulation for all audiences. Katie is a native Rhode Islander but now lives just over the border in southeast Massachusetts. She is a true New Englander and loves sharing all the cool things NE has to offer. She enjoys a variety of hobbies including history, astronomy, science/technology, science fiction, true crime, fashion and anything associated with nature and the outdoors. She is also mom to a 4-year old budding engineer and two crazy rescue pups.