Implementation Analysis of Low-Noise Performance-Based Navigation Flight Procedures at Boston Logan Airport

The implementation of performance-based navigation instrument flight procedures at major U.S. airports has enabled aircraft to follow precise routes during departure and arrival operations. While these procedures offer increased efficiency and predictability in flight management, they have the side effect of concentrating aircraft noise over specific neighborhoods along procedure routes. At Boston Logan Airport, performance-based navigation procedures led to increased aviation noise complaints due to the higher flight track concentration. To mitigate this effect, new low-noise procedures were developed and implemented at Boston Logan. The procedure changes include a new overwater approach procedure to runway 33L and modifications to the departure procedures from runways 15R and 22L/R. This paper evaluates changes in noise levels measured by ground noise monitors and the fuel burn impacts due to changes in path lengths introduced by the new procedures. All implemented procedures resulted in reduced overflight noise at a highly impacted area on the approach path to runway 33L and the departure path to runways 15R and 22L/R, resulting in a reduction ranging between 2.9 and 18.3 dB [Formula: see text]. All published procedures were observed to have a reduced average distance flown between 0.1 and 7.3 nautical miles, which resulted in a fuel-saving co-benefit.