IND to check aircraft noise levels as part of regularly scheduled update to FAA Noise Compatibility Plan
IND’s FAA-approved process of reducing residential noise impact is reviewed every five years
The Indianapolis Airport Authority (IAA) Noise Compatibility Plan (NCP), which was initiated in 1987, will soon complete its latest five-year update cycle as mandated by Federal Aviation Regulation (FAR) Part 150 requirements. The NCP noise monitoring will take place in late August in areas around the Indianapolis International Airport (IND). The most recent update was accepted by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in 2008.
The update process ensures that modifications to flight mix, aircraft operations, and airport configuration and changes to other such factors that may affect noise levels on residential areas around the airport are accounted for. Monitoring results will be used to ensure accuracy in the noise modeling that will be prepared for the NCP update. Monitoring will also be used to test new procedures for future consideration.
The NCP is one component of IND’s overall Noise Program, under which the IAA has implemented a number of land-use and noise abatement policies to dramatic effect: as recently as 1997, the IAA received more than 1,000 noise complaints for the year. For all of 2012, only 23 such complaints were received.
Similarly, nearly 15,000 persons were impacted by aircraft noise levels that the FAA determined to be incompatible with residential use when the Noise Compatibility Plan was originally implemented. Today, that number is estimated to be less than 65.
The latest noise monitoring will consist of long-term stationary equipment and short-term manned monitors. The long-term monitors will be placed at several locations around IND throughout the testing period, while the short-term monitors will be deployed daily as runway usage dictates.
Residents may direct any questions or concerns about aircraft noise, including the monitoring process, to the IAA’s Noise Hotline at 317.487.5000.
About the Indianapolis Airport Authority
The Indianapolis Airport Authority owns and operates Indiana’s largest airport system. In addition to the Indianapolis International Airport, its facilities include the Downtown Heliport, Eagle Creek Airpark, Hendricks County Airport, Indianapolis Regional Airport, and Metropolitan Airport. IND has received numerous prestigious awards recognizing it as a leader within its class, including best airport in North America in 2010 and 2012 in Airports Council International’s annual Airport Service Quality awards. IND is the first airport in the U.S. to win LEED® certification for an entire terminal campus, and the airport has won recognition for excellent customer service, concessions programs, and art and architecture.
IND’s economic impact in Central Indiana is more than $4.5 billion annually, and about 10,000 people work at the airport each day. IND serves more than 7 million business and leisure travelers each year and averages 137 daily flights to 32 nonstop destinations. Home of the world's second-largest FedEx Express operation and the nation’s eighth-largest cargo facility, IND is committed to becoming the airport system of choice for both passenger and cargo service. For more information, visit IND’s Facebook page at Indianapolis International Airport and Twitter page at @INDairport.