Rainer Guski, Prof. Dr. | Ruhr-University Bochum | Germany
Field research data indicate an ongoing increase of aircraft noise annoyance in communities at given LpAeq levels. We discuss several potential causes of this process:
1. Methodological changes in the studies,
2. Contextual changes reflected in the studies,
3. General increase of the number of aircraft movements,
4. Changes in the composition of aircraft fleets, and
5. Attitudinal changes in the residents.
At present, several consequences can be drawn:
1. Recommendations with respect to intolerable levels of continuous noise for aircraft and railway traffic should be adjusted. Within this process, it seems recommendable to distinguish between low rate and high rate change airports.
2. Since the increase of the number of flight movements, as well as the change in fleet mix seem to be systematically related to the annoyance increase, assumptions of the energy-equivalent long-term continuous sound pressure should be re-evaluated and amended or supplemented by additional acoustic variables.
3. We should keep an eye on the development of socially shared values and attitudes related to personal autonomy, as well as to the evaluation of airports, and their noise policy.