Category : Meetings(468)

The February 26, 2020 StART (SEA Stakeholder Advisory Round Table) meeting brought together Port of Seattle officials, airline representatives, and neighboring community members to discuss airport noise concerns. Key topics included a planned advocacy trip to Washington DC, updates on the Late-Night Noise Limitation Program showing EVA Air, FedEx Express, and China Airlines Cargo as top noise violators, and a University of Washington study on ultrafine particle pollution near the airport. Airlines were encouraged to reduce noise impacts, with EVA Air committing to quieter aircraft and FedEx Express planning to retire its louder MD-11 fleet.

This is a summary of the February 26, 2020 StART (SEA Stakeholder Advisory Round Table) meeting held at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, covering key topics including a federal policy advocacy trip to Washington DC, updates on aviation noise reduction efforts, and a University of Washington study on ultrafine particles near the airport. The meeting highlighted progress in the Late-Night Noise Limitation Program, with airlines such as EVA Air and FedEx Express committing to quieter aircraft or fleet changes to reduce nighttime noise exceedances. Additional discussions covered an accelerated sound insulation program for nearby residences and places of worship, as well as ongoing ground noise analysis to identify and mitigate noise sources around the airfield.

This document summarizes a February 10, 2020 meeting of the StART Aviation Noise Working Group, which advises the Port of Seattle on noise issues around Sea-Tac Airport. Topics covered include an update on a Ground Noise Analysis study, additional findings from a Noise Abatement Departure Profiles study recommending airlines adopt the quieter 'Distant NADP' flight procedure, and 4th-quarter results from the Late-Night Noise Limitation Program, which identified EVA Air, FedEx Express, and China Airlines Cargo as the top noise threshold violators. Notably, EVA Air agreed to switch one of its nightly Boeing 777 flights to a quieter Boeing 787 starting May 2020 in response to community concerns.

This document is a summary of the December 11, 2019 meeting of the Sea-Tac Stakeholder Advisory Round Table (StART), a group that facilitates cooperation between the Port of Seattle and neighboring communities on airport-related issues. Key topics included a review of 2019 accomplishments such as the Revised Runway Use Agreement and the Late Night Noise Limitation Program, an update on federal and state legislative efforts around noise insulation and airplane noise, and an FAA report concluding that an end-around taxi procedure at Sea-Tac is not feasible due to limited airfield space and safety concerns. The meeting also addressed upcoming changes to community representation and a planned delegation trip to Washington, D.C. to advocate for shared noise policy priorities.

The December 11, 2019 StART meeting focused on a Noise Abatement Departure Profiles Analysis, which found that using the 'Distant NADP' flight departure procedure would reduce noise for certain communities near Sea-Tac Airport. The meeting also covered updates from the Federal Policy Working Group, including proposed noise-insulation legislation and a planned Washington D.C. advocacy trip, as well as a report that the FAA determined an end-around taxi procedure was not feasible due to safety concerns. Additionally, the Aviation Noise Working Group reported progress on reducing late-night runway use, with nightly landings on the third runway dropping from 10–30 to an average of 2 per night.

On November 19, 2019, the Burien Airport Committee and the Des Moines Aviation Advisory Committee held a joint meeting at Des Moines Beach Park Dining Hall to discuss airport-related legislative priorities and the conditions under which their cities might rejoin StART (Sea-Tac Airport Roundtable), a regional forum addressing Sea-Tac Airport impacts. The agenda included a report from a Legislative Agenda subcommittee and discussion of steps needed before re-engaging with the roundtable process. The meeting reflects ongoing community efforts by cities neighboring Sea-Tac Airport to coordinate policy responses to aviation noise and related concerns.

A November 2019 meeting of the Sea-Tac Airport Stakeholder Advisory Round Table (StART) Aviation Noise Working Group covered three main topics: next steps for adopting a quieter aircraft departure procedure (NADP 2), updates on outreach to airlines with late-night noise violations, and highlights from a national airport noise conference held in Seattle. Key discussions included how the NADP 2 'distant procedure' could reduce noise for communities farther from the airport, conversations with carriers like EVA Air and FedEx about reducing late-night noise, and plans to develop community-friendly maps showing where noise impacts would increase, decrease, or stay the same.

This document summarizes a November 4, 2019 meeting of the StART Federal Policy Working Group, which brings together representatives from cities near Seattle-Tacoma International Airport to address aviation noise concerns. Key topics included an update on Senate language directing the FAA to better measure real-world noise impacts and conduct health research, joint letters from the Port of Seattle and neighboring cities to Congress and the FAA, and legislative efforts by Congressman Adam Smith related to noise insulation funding and ultrafine particle emissions. The group also discussed plans for a Washington, D.C. trip in early 2020 to directly engage elected officials and the FAA on these issues.