TagNoise Abatement Procedures(57)

This January 2018 progress update from ESA presents an analysis of aircraft arrivals at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA), examining whether notable changes occurred between 2013, 2015, and 2017. The study uses radar flight track data from July and December of each year to compare fleet mix, runway usage, and aircraft altitudes at six nautical miles from the airport. Key questions addressed include whether arrival numbers increased, whether traffic flow patterns shifted between north and south flow, and whether arriving aircraft were flying at different altitudes over the study period.

This document outlines the Runway Use Agreement between the FAA and the Port of Seattle at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (Sea-Tac), effective December 6, 2010. It establishes preferred runway assignments for arrivals and departures under various weather and traffic conditions, while making clear that safety and air traffic management always take priority. The agreement does not change existing FAA practices but aims to provide consistency and transparency for the public regarding how runways are used.

In this November 1999 letter, the Port of Seattle's Noise Abatement Program Manager responds to a Normandy Park resident's complaints about low-flying aircraft and late-night jet noise near Sea-Tac Airport. The letter explains that smaller propeller aircraft fly different, lower-altitude flight paths than jets for safety reasons, which brings them over residential neighborhoods like Normandy Park. It also notes that while Sea-Tac restricts older, louder aircraft between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m., the Port lacks legal authority to restrict newer aircraft, though it works with airlines to minimize nighttime noise.

This document compares a 1996 Expert Arbitration Panel's findings on aircraft noise at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport with the FAA's 2013-2018 Part 150 Noise Compatibility Program approval, revealing that many of the same unresolved noise abatement and mitigation issues identified decades ago remain unaddressed today. Communities surrounding Sea-Tac — including Burien, Normandy Park, and Des Moines — continue to experience increasing noise and air pollution as flight operations have grown from 387,000 in 1995 to over 438,000 in 2018. The document calls out regulators and the Port of Seattle for failing to make meaningful progress on commitments such as nighttime flight restrictions, engine run-up controls, and departure corridor compliance.

In 1990, the Port of Seattle's Port Commission passed Resolution No. 3062, endorsing an agreement reached by the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport Noise Mediation Committee after 18 months of study by community representatives, airlines, pilots, the FAA, and airport users. The agreement established a Noise Budget and Nighttime Limitations program aimed at reducing aircraft noise levels by at least 50% by 2001 compared to a 1989 baseline, while also expanding the existing Noise Remedy Program to insulate more homes and remove financial burdens from homeowners. The resolution authorized the Executive Director to implement the agreement's terms, including revising airport regulations, entering noise limitation agreements with airline tenants, and installing a Noise Management System to monitor compliance.

This document outlines the Final Package of Mediated Noise Abatement Actions for Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, agreed upon by the Mediation Committee on March 31, 1990. It covers a wide range of noise reduction measures, including nighttime flight restrictions, a noise remedy and insulation program for affected communities, improved flight corridor procedures, and a comprehensive noise management and monitoring system. According to technical consultants, full implementation of these agreements could reduce noise levels by approximately 50% in the communities surrounding the airport.

This 1989 FAA draft Environmental Assessment examines proposed changes to arrival and departure flight routes at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, aimed at reducing air traffic congestion and improving airspace efficiency. The document identifies a key inefficiency: during good weather and peak demand, south-landing capacity (42 aircraft/hour) was significantly lower than north-landing capacity (56 aircraft/hour), largely due to a requirement routing turbojet aircraft through Elliott Bay. The assessment traces the issue back to noise abatement procedures established since 1970 that prioritized limiting jet overflights in certain Seattle metropolitan areas over operational efficiency.