To reduce noise levels in nearby neighbourhoods, the Rīga Airport plans to make changes to its Action Plan and is seeking feedback and suggestions from residents, Latvian Television reports on 24th March.
Currently, two-thirds of all aircraft arrive and depart in a northerly direction. Seven times more people live on the northern side than on the southern side. Therefore, the airport plans to increase the proportion of takeoffs and landings on the southern side so that noise is dispersed over less populated areas.
There are also plans to stipulate that at night, aircraft taking off toward the north must not shorten their takeoff distance. By making full use of the entire runway length, aircraft will reach higher altitudes closer to the airport, resulting in less noise.
“We’re monitoring how many aircraft fly over the villages of Jaunmārupe and Vētra at night—the villages closest to the airport to the south. If we identify any instances where villages have been flown over, we analyse why this is happening. If there is no valid reason, we speak with “Latvian Air Traffic,” which oversees air traffic controllers, to reduce such occurrences,” explained Jānis Brižs, an environmental noise management specialist at Riga Airport.
The airport is located in Mārupe Municipality, home to 40,800 residents. People have grown accustomed to the planes, and residents’ complaints were taken into account when preparing the airport’s previous Action Plan, said a local representative. Last year, the airport registered three complaints.
“Compared to European airports, that is a very small number. We also receive the occasional inquiry. The number of instances where the noise limit, as set by regulations, is exceeded is very low,” noted Brižs.
Training is also planned for “Latvian Air Traffic” air traffic controllers, who make many decisions that affect noise levels in the airport’s vicinity. The air traffic controller determines the direction and route an aircraft must take, as well as altitude restrictions, which can cause aircraft to be louder.
Information on the proposed changes to the “Airport Action Plan for Noise Reduction” is available on the Riga Airport website.
“We welcome suggestions on what might be done differently. Perhaps there are observations we should take into account. Although data collection is ongoing, all decisions made to reduce noise are data-driven. If residents have questions or uncertainties about what is planned, how it will be implemented, or how to understand it, everyone is invited to contact the airport,” said airport representative Ilze Salna.
The airport is accepting feedback and suggestions until April 22nd.
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