The impact of a large airport on residents' quality of life and annoyance

A nearby large airport provides both positive and negative impact on surrounding communities. It can provide economic growth for a region near an airport, but also have a negative environmental and health-related impact with respect to aircraft induced noise exposure and air pollution. To study the impact of aircraft noise together with other aspects of air traffic in an airport region on the quality of life (QoL) and annoyance of residents in surrounding regions, a survey regarding nine QoL indicators was conducted for two Dutch communities. A comparison was made between one higher aircraft noise exposed community situated near Schiphol airport and one in Utrecht without a neighbouring airport and thus less exposed to aircraft noise. Results showed more aircraft noise-annoyed people living near the airport than people living further away. Using a Principle Component Analysis, the nine extracted factors supported previously theorized indicators defining QoL. Noticeable differences were found in neighborhood trouble, social contacts and aerospace perception between these two communities with the airport as main discriminator. Outcomes of this study help to develop a model to measure QoL and improve the understanding of the impact of noise exposure and other characteristics of a nearby airport on people's well-being.