A program to reduce jet noise in some areas around O’Hare International Airport appears to have worked most of the time, officials said Wednesday, and might be renewed this spring.
The program faces serious challenges, however. While the night-time runway rotation plan provided relief to some residents closer to the airport, flight data suggested that it spread more noise to outlying areas in the northwest suburbs.
Federal officials also raised safety concerns about some aspects of the plan, and the scheduled closing of one key runway next year will end the program as it previously operated, leaving open the question of what will happen in the long run.
The so-called Fly Quiet Runway Rotation was tested for six months last year as a way to spread night flights around O’Hare, rather than concentrating them immediately east and west of the airfield. Each week, a different pair of runways was designated for use, on a rotating basis.
The rotation operated as planned 67 percent of the time, according to an analysis by the Chicago Department of Aviation. The rest of the time, pilots did not use the designated runways, often because they wanted longer runways to handle larger loads.
Though Fly Quiet was designed to operate from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m., because of air traffic and other factors, it ran on average from 11:16 p.m. to 5:25 a.m.
Compliance varied widely, depending on the weather and which runways were designated. When winds were from the west, as they were half the time, flights were more likely to use the east-west runways, and less likely to use designated diagonal runways.
O’Hare communities OK plan to spread out jet noise Mary Wisniewski
A commission of municipalities and school districts around O’Hare International Airport gave the green light Friday to test a “fly quiet” plan, which proponents say will spread the pain of late-night and early morning jet noise more fairly across the area.
In a 45-5 vote, the O’Hare Noise Compatibility…
A commission of municipalities and school districts around O’Hare International Airport gave the green light Friday to test a “fly quiet” plan, which proponents say will spread the pain of late-night and early morning jet noise more fairly across the area.
In a 45-5 vote, the O’Hare Noise Compatibility…
(Mary Wisniewski)
The runway that was most frequently used as part of the program, 15/33, runs southeast to northwest. It was used for 27 percent of departures, directing more flights over Arlington Heights, Palatine, Schaumburg and nearby areas, and diverting noise from the most affected areas, such as Schiller Park, northwest Chicago, Bensenville and Elk Grove Village.
However, that runway is scheduled to close next year, as Chicago proceeds with construction to replace it with a sixth east-west runway.
Several members of the O’Hare Noise Compatibility Commission’s Fly Quiet Committee expressed support for the runway rotation. City officials are scheduled to return Feb. 22 with a plan to renew the program, likely for another six months at most, with a final vote expected March 10. If approved by the Federal Aviation Administration, the program likely would start up again in the spring.
Jet noise will ease in coming years due to new engine designs Mary Wisniewski
Discussion of the noise problem around O’Hare International Airport has mostly centered not on the aircraft itself but on scheduling, flight paths, runway direction and sound insulation for homes and businesses.
But a big factor in jet noise is what’s inside the plane, such as the engine and the…
Discussion of the noise problem around O’Hare International Airport has mostly centered not on the aircraft itself but on scheduling, flight paths, runway direction and sound insulation for homes and businesses.
But a big factor in jet noise is what’s inside the plane, such as the engine and the…
(Mary Wisniewski)
rmccoppin@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @RobertMcCoppin
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