Confederation wants less aircraft noise at night at Zurich Airport
Published: Tuesday, Dec 10th 2024, 14:00
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The Federal Office of Civil Aviation has drawn up measures to reduce night-time noise at Zurich Airport. For example, noisy long-haul flights departing after 11 p.m. will pay significantly higher charges.
The measures are part of the Sectoral Transport Plan, Aviation Infrastructure (SIL), which has been open to the public since Tuesday, as announced by the Federal Office of Civil Aviation (FOCA) on Tuesday.
The higher charges for noisy long-haul flights departing after 11 p.m. are intended to encourage airlines to reduce delays and purchase quieter aircraft of the latest generation.
The Zurich government's airport report published last week also revealed that Zurich's aircraft noise is increasingly disturbing local residents at night. The Zurich Aircraft Noise Index (ZFI), a benchmark used to determine the maximum number of people affected, was exceeded in 2023.
Consequence of a Federal Administrative Court ruling
The SIL object sheet now also contains an obligation for the airport to use improvements to infrastructure and operations to reduce delays in advance. The maximum number of take-offs and landings that can be planned may only be increased once the permitted noise emissions have been complied with.
The basic report that has now been published is the result of a ruling by the Federal Administrative Court in 2021, which upheld complaints against Zurich Airport's operating regulations. The FOCA was instructed to assess the night-time noise and delay situation, particularly in the second hour of the night from 11 p.m. to 11.30 p.m.
The public has until the end of January to comment on the SIL object sheet. Longer deadlines apply for municipalities, planning groups, companies and cantons. After the consultation, the FOCA evaluates the submissions and submits the revised object sheet to the Federal Council for approval.
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