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From previous studies, it is admitted that annoyance is inherent to noise but that it is not only correlated to physical sound characteristics. Noise exposure, and its physical characteristics, account for about 25-30% of the variance in annoyance (Miedema, Oudshoorn, 2001). Using standard noise index-associated contours does not reflect the value or the actual annoyance of the residents of neighbouring communities.
The 5A (Attitudes to Aircraft Annoyance Around Airports) project examined the response to aircraft noise around three European airports.
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The aims of the study were:
- to examine the response to aircraft noise in three countries,
- to place a value on aircraft noise and explore variations in such values as a function of time, and
- to identify variables that influence the response to noise and examine the performance of different indices.
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Air transport is forecast to grow steadily over the next 15 years. Environmental and sustainability concerns are very much at the forefront of people’s minds. Residents are better informed now than they were in the past and there is some evidence that people in western countries feel more annoyed with aircraft noise today than they did thirty years ago (Wirth, Broër). Unless these adverse effects are adequately understood and taken into account by airport planners, an airport will ultimately suffer externally-imposed constraints, jeopardising all of the benefits arising from its success.
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This exploratory study focused on aircraft noise impact as a key source of annoyance. Correlation between noise index values and noise annoyance does not reflect the aspiration or the actual annoyance of the residents of neighbouring communities. These relationships are modified by a range of other factors, including social, economic and cultural factors (such as income and expectation of quality of life).
The pilot study, which started in June 2002 and ended in December 2005, tried to identify the influences of the underlying factors that lead to variation in the levels of annoyance experienced by the communities living around the following airports:
- Manchester International
- Bucharest Coanda
- Lyon Saint-Exupéry
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This work was done in partnership with:
- The Institute for Transport Studies, Leeds University, UK
- Faber Maunsell (an independent UK research company)
- Alma-Ro (an independent Romanian research company)
- IPSOS (an independent French research company)
- The Manchester Metropolitan University, UK
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as well as with EUROCONTROL's Aircraft Noise Modelling team.
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There were three key aspects to the methodology used:
- focus groups,
- a social and attitudinal survey, and
- stated preference experiments.
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Focus groups were used to gather information relating to aircraft annoyance and its position relative to other forms of annoyance as well as broader "quality of life" issues, all as a guide to the design of the attitudinal survey and stated preference experiments.
The attitudinal survey provided background information on the subjects and their likelihood to complain, their tolerance of noise, etc. Aircraft noise is not the most important aspect of quality of life, but it is an issue with which respondents tended to be dissatisfied.
Social surveys involving three innovative stated preference experiments provided monetary valuations of aircraft noise.
A total of 647 individuals were surveyed, there being at least 200 in each of the three countries.
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We have derived values per unit change (deterioration/improvement) in Leq (the average sound level) that are sensitive to the base level (the current situation at each airport), and by time periods.
We have also identified the influence of a limited range of factors on noise levels, most notably income and subjective response variables.
For the full results of this pilot study please read the following reports:
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Last validation: 31/03/2009
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