TagNextGen(53)

In April 2017, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) presented a NextGen briefing to the Port of Seattle Commission, outlining the agency's initiative to modernize the U.S. air traffic system. NextGen aims to improve safety, reduce flight delays, cut fuel consumption and emissions, and handle growing air travel demand. The briefing is relevant to Sea-Tac Airport stakeholders as these airspace changes can directly affect flight paths and noise impacts on surrounding communities.

A petition to the Port of Seattle Commission requesting the addition of two noise monitors on Vashon Island to monitor aircraft noise from new FAA NextGen flight procedures. The petition cites concerns about focused flight paths over Vashon Island at low altitudes affecting approximately 250 arrivals per day in Southflow operations.

This 2016 report by Palo Alto resident Mark Shull examines how the FAA's NextGen 'Optimization of Airspace and Procedures in the Metroplex' (OAPM) program, implemented between 2012 and 2015, led to dramatically increased aircraft noise over residential communities by redesigning flight paths to be lower, straighter, and more concentrated. The author argues that while the program was publicly marketed as improving efficiency, reducing fuel use, and lowering environmental impact, its primary purpose was increasing airport capacity by reducing separation between aircraft and simplifying flight corridors. The report traces the legislative, regulatory, and industry decisions that shaped the program, concluding that communities were left worse off and that genuine air traffic modernization will be harder to achieve going forward.

FAA Order 1050.1F, effective July 16, 2015, establishes the Federal Aviation Administration's policies and procedures for complying with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), covering actions such as grants, construction, rulemaking, and NextGen airspace improvements. The order outlines when environmental reviews, assessments, or full impact statements are required, and defines responsibilities for the FAA, applicants, and contractors. It is relevant to noise and environmental impact considerations at airports like Sea-Tac, as it governs how the FAA evaluates and documents the environmental effects of aviation-related actions.

A 2013 U.S. Government Accountability Office report found that the FAA made limited progress in modernizing the air transportation system through its NextGen initiative, with ongoing challenges reducing expected benefits. The report highlights the FAA's Greener Skies project at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, initiated by Alaska Airlines, which aimed to shorten flight paths and route aircraft over water to save fuel, but excluded certain eastern flight procedures due to community concerns about aviation noise. The report notes that the full benefits of new flight procedures depend heavily on how often airlines and pilots actually use them.

In March 2013, FAA Administrator Michael Huerta sent letters to key members of Congress reporting on the FAA's strategy to accelerate implementation of NextGen air traffic management capabilities developed through the Greener Skies project. The report was submitted as required by Section 225 of the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012, and draws on recommendations from the RTCA NextGen Mid-Term Implementation Task Force 5 report issued in September 2009. The Greener Skies project aimed to modernize flight procedures in ways that could affect flight paths and noise exposure at airports such as Sea-Tac.

This Federal Aviation Administration document describes how the NextGen air traffic modernization program benefits both general aviation and commercial airports through improved GPS-based approach procedures, ADS-B surveillance technology, and more efficient departure queue management systems. Key upgrades include WAAS/LPV approaches that allow aircraft to land in low-visibility conditions without expensive ground equipment, and surface surveillance tools to better track aircraft and vehicles on the ground. The document also outlines plans to optimize airspace procedures across 21 metropolitan areas to reduce delays and improve safety.