Airplane Noise

The towns of Arlington, Belmont and Watertown, Senators Brownsberger and Donnelly, Representatives Garballey, Hecht, Lawn and Rogers joined the Logan Airport Community Committee in urging the FAA to consider the Committee’s motion to reexamine the use of the Runway 33L RNAV departure procedures.

There will be a weekend closure to two runways, 9/27 and 4R/22L, beginning at 10 PM on Friday 4/24 and scheduled to conclude at 2 PM on Sunday 4/26. This will be the final weekend closure for the additional work for the project. We can expect a busy next few days regardless of wind direction.

With the support of colleagues in the House and Senate, Senator Brownsberger passed an amendment to the supplemental budget that added representatives for Arlington, Belmont, Watertown and other communities to the MassPort Community Advisory Committee. Although the FAA has control over air traffic, MassPort controls airport operations and the inclusion of Arlington, Belmont and Watertown on the CAC will ensure that our communities have a seat at the table.

Belmont’s representative to the Logan Community Advisory Committee (CAC) reports on a recent implementation of a RNAV flight path system in Phoenix that has caused noise problems similar to those now occurring at Logan International Airport.

At yesterday’s meeting of the Logan Community Advisory Committee (CAC), representatives from the communities of Arlington, Belmont and Watertown brought forward a motion for the CAC to request that the FAA re-examine Runway 33L RNAV SID, implemented in June of 2013, in light of the significant increase in noise complaints and negative feedback from communities since implementation and that alternatives or modifications be considered. The motion was adopted by a near unanimous vote of the CAC and will be formally communicated by the President of the CAC to the FAA.

Starting on January 16, most communities will experience a reduction in plane traffic late at night. This is the result of the reinstatement of a noise abatement procedure that had been suspended since June. Many of us were unaware of the suspension of the procedure, so this good news is unanticipated.