
This 1978 background report, prepared for the Washington State House of Representatives, examines the potential impact of allowing Concorde supersonic jet flights at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SeaTac). It finds that even one Concorde flight per day would expose an additional 1,000 residents to severe aircraft noise and could increase the Port of Seattle's property acquisition costs by $10–15 million. The report also explores the legal boundaries of airport noise regulations following a landmark court case that affirmed airport proprietors may set their own noise rules, provided those rules are reasonable, non-arbitrary, and non-discriminatory.Open full document
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A background report prepared for the Washington State House of Representatives analyzing the predicted impact of Concorde flight operations at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SeaTac). The report covers noise impacts on surrounding communities, the court case involving Concorde landing rights at JFK, and FAA noise regulations for both subsonic and supersonic aircraft. It also discusses the Port of Seattle’s SeaTac Communities Plan and the estimated $10-15 million increase in property acquisition costs from adding 1,000 more people to the highest noise impact zone.