TagFAA(514)

The Integrated Noise Model (INM), developed by ATAC Corporation for the FAA, was the standard computer tool used to assess aircraft noise impacts near airports like Sea-Tac, calculating noise exposure contours and predicted sound levels at sensitive locations such as schools and hospitals. It was required for airport noise compatibility planning under FAR Part 150 and environmental reviews under the National Environmental Policy Act until it was replaced by the Aviation Environmental Design Tool (AEDT) in May 2015. Though no longer valid for regulatory use in the U.S., the INM was used by over 1,000 users in 65 countries to evaluate the noise effects of runway changes, flight routing, air traffic procedures, and shifts in aircraft fleet mix.

This document is the FAA's Record of Approval for Seattle-Tacoma International Airport's Noise Compatibility Program, which outlines measures to reduce aircraft noise and manage land use around the airport. It covers both new and updated measures, including voluntary rescheduling of nighttime flights, preferential runway use during nighttime hours, and a Fly Quiet Program to encourage airlines to follow noise abatement procedures. The FAA approved most measures as continuations of previously approved programs dating back to 1985, while disapproving the engine maintenance run-up regulations.

This FAA presentation covers Airport/Community Noise Roundtables and FAA support for addressing aircraft noise concerns near airports like Sea-Tac. It explains that effective roundtables build consensus among all affected communities, while the FAA's Air Traffic Organization (ATO) works through a large backlog of noise-reduction recommendations, each requiring months of technical feasibility review and environmental assessment. The FAA encourages communities to focus on the most actionable recommendations and to form alliances, emphasizing that collaborative, balanced solutions produce the best long-term outcomes.

The FAA's National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems (NPIAS) 2019–2023 is a report to Congress that outlines the federal government's framework for developing and maintaining a national network of airports eligible for federal funding. It covers planned airport infrastructure investments across the United States over a five-year period. While the report addresses airports nationwide, it does not specifically focus on noise policy or Sea-Tac Airport.

This document from the FAA's National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems (NPIAS) 2023-2027 defines the categories and roles of U.S. airports, ranging from large commercial hubs to small general aviation fields, based on criteria such as annual passenger enplanements, flight operations, and cargo weight. It outlines how airports are classified as Primary (Large, Medium, Small Hub, or Nonhub) or Nonprimary (National, Regional, Local, Basic, or Unclassified), and identifies the 3,287 airports that make up the national airport system. The document also details the data sources used by the FAA to determine each airport's classification and role within the system.

Appendix B of the National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems (NPIAS) 2023-2027 provides national and state maps showing the locations of all 3,287 existing NPIAS airports across the United States and its territories, including Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, Guam, and American Samoa. Airports are categorized by type — Large/Medium hub, Small/Nonhub, National/Regional, Local/Basic, and Unclassified — and displayed alongside Metropolitan and Micropolitan Statistical Areas. Note that this document covers the broader national airport system and does not contain specific noise policy information related to Sea-Tac Airport.

This document is Appendix A of the FAA's National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems (NPIAS) for 2021-2025, which lists airports across the U.S. along with their ownership, category, and 5-year development cost estimates for federally eligible improvements. It defines key terms such as airport categories (Commercial Service, Reliever, and General Aviation), hub classifications based on passenger enplanements, and based aircraft counts. The data was primarily compiled in 2019 and does not reflect changes in airline activity due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

This document argues that the FAA and Sea-Tac Airport failed to properly account for combined aircraft noise from both Sea-Tac and Boeing Field when approving the Greener Skies/NextGen flight program, leaving hundreds of Beacon Hill homes without sound insulation assistance they may have been entitled to. A 2002 King County International Airport study had already identified that noise levels in parts of Beacon Hill exceeded the 65 dB DNL federal threshold when both airports' noise was measured together, yet no mitigation was provided. The document also highlights that no public outreach was conducted in the Beacon Hill neighborhood—a majority-Asian, multilingual community—before the new flight paths were implemented.

This document contains a structured set of interview questions developed for a GAO study (project 103933) examining how NextGen flight path changes have affected local communities through increased aviation noise. The questions are directed at community groups and cover topics including FAA outreach efforts before and after implementation, equity concerns, the drivers of noise complaints, and whether any flight path modifications were sought or made following implementation. It aims to assess how effectively the FAA communicated with and involved communities in performance-based navigation (PBN) decisions.