A Review of Recent Trends in Airport Noise Issues in Japan

In Japan, in response to the growing demand for air transportation, reinforcement of airport such as runway construction/extension as well as introduction of new flight routes and relaxation of night time curfew are in progress at major airports in order to expand air traffic capacity. These situational changes in airport and air transportation functions have been inevitably causing residents near the airport and flight routes to suffer from concerns about new noise and health problems, etc. the government and airport operators are, therefore, implementing various new noise measures and information dissemination to people and local governments around the airport. In this paper, it reviews an briefly overview of the historical background of aircraft noise issues and countermeasures in Japan, not only the recent airport noise issues and its responses or countermeasures. Furthermore, it examines community engagement initiatives with local communities around the airports, in the airport or function expansion planning.