Evaluating Noise and Emissions for Performance Based Navigation Procedures at Airports

摘要

As part of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) effort to modernize the United States (US) air traffic control system, NextGen technology is being implemented in various phases at airports across the country. These range from single runway changes, airport wide changes and airspace region changes. Performance Based Navigation (PBN) is one part of this implementation effort. PBN provides airports and airlines a new opportunity to reduce noise and emissions but in some cases there is a tradeoff where it may increase these levels. In some cases, one element such as noise may decrease but emissions and fuel burn may increase. Sometimes these increases are in areas that were not considered in the past. This paper will discuss recent evaluations of these procedures for each scale of implementation discussed previously. This ranges from a single runway at Boston Logan International Airport, airport wide changes at Nashville International Airport and airspace region changes in the Houston Metroplex area. The Boston Logan Airport project focused on evaluating the before and after effects of a procedure change both in noise levels and aircraft overflights. Area Navigation (RNAV) departure procedures were implemented at the airport in 2011. We evaluated the Runway 22R procedure as it was generating concerns from the local community. The evaluation included reviewing and modeling data before implementation, after the first design change and after the second design change. The modeling effort and results will be discussed. The Nashville International Airport procedures were evaluated as part of Airport Noise study and a Categorical Exclusion (CATEX). While undertaking an FAA funded noise study for the airport we were informed that PBN procedures would be implemented for all runways at the airport. The presentation will discuss the changes, the process used to evaluate the changes and the effects. This collaborative process resulted in new procedures implemented with no additional impacts or complaints from the community. The objective of the Optimization of Airspace and Procedures in the Metroplex (OAPM) project in Houston is to optimize aircraft arrival and departure procedures at all airports within the Metroplex, including the two largest commercial service airports, George Bush Intercontinental/Houston (IAH) and William P. Hobby Airport (HOU). For purposes of the OAPM program, a "Metroplex" is a major metropolitan area with multiple airports where air traffic congestion, airport activity in close geographical proximity and other limiting factors combine to reduce efficient aircraft movement. The Houston procedures were designed and then evaluated as part of an Environmental Assessment (EA) which assessed noise, emissions and fuel burn. The paper will present modeling techniques, graphical displays, and results from each of the projects.