Could cutting aviation noise pollution increase air pollution?

Cutting noise from aviation could potentially create “unacceptable costs in terms of local air pollution”, it has been found.

According to the Department for Transport (DfT), in such cases, the costs and benefits of any strategies to cut noise from planes must be carefully weighed up.

The DfT has updated the 2003 Air Transport White Paper to set out objectives for tackling UK aviation emissions and noise as the sector grows.

Objectives set out in the framework, aim to make sure the aviation sector contributes a significant amount towards reducing global emissions, airquality news reports.

This would include working with the UN International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) on agreements to cut carbon dioxide emissions produced by planes.

The paper also sets out a plan to make better use of existing runway capacity. It would do this, it says, by improving transport routes to airports and liberalising the UK aviation market to encourage foreign airlines to operate routes from quieter airports. It would also encourage airport operators to think about how to utilise capacity more effectively.

While aviation emissions are mostly made up of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide, the sector also emits nitrogen oxides and sulphur oxides. It is also worth noting that airport-related traffic on roads around airports contributes to nitrogen dioxide and particulate matter emissions.

When it comes to the noise generated by aviation, the framework set out a target which the authors hope will cut the number of people in the UK who are affected by aircraft noise. It is to achieve this through improved technology, the introduction of noise ‘envelopes’ around airports and the further use of noise abatement operational procedures.

The paper does note, however: “Whilst our policy is to give particular weight to the management and mitigation of noise in the immediate vicinity of airports, there may be instances where prioritising noise creates unacceptable costs in terms of local air pollution.”