Noise Information
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has jurisdiction over navigable airspace and air traffic management in the USA. State and local government entities, including U.S. airports such as St. Louis Lambert International Airport (STL), have no authority to usurp federal government sovereignty of airspace or air traffic control – at STL or elsewhere.
STL’s Noise Information Office is a liaison between the public and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Our goal is to provide clear and accessible information to the community while ensuring STL meets or exceeds all federal and state aircraft noise regulations.
While STL brings significant economic and social benefits, it also brings aviation noise. However, our noise footprint has decreased since 2010. We have been able to implement programs that encourage quieter flights and advocate for smart uses of land surrounding the STL.
Noise and Sound
(from the Federal Aviation Administration)
Sound is energy transferred through the air that our ears detect as small changes in air pressure. The more energy put into making a sound, the louder it will be. Try whispering. Then yell. You can feel how much more energy goes into yelling.
Noise is sound that is unwanted. Some sounds, like a distant train whistle, can be a pleasant sound for some, while being considered noise by others. Other sounds, like a neighbor’s barking dog in the middle of the night, are more universally found to be annoying. Even sounds that are pleasant at one volume can become noise to us as they get louder. Noise, then, has both an objective, physical component; as well as a subjective component that takes account of a person’s individual perception, or reaction, to a sound.
How STL Measures Noise
STL measures sound levels in communities surrounding the airport to 24 hours a day. We measure aircraft noise levels using 8 monitors strategically placed in communities surrounding STL.
Noise monitoring is not predictive, however it provides a historical record that helps us track trends and accurately informs the noise levels at a location for a specific time period.
Learn More
- Aviation Noise
https://www.faa.gov/regulations_policies/policy_guidance/noise - Fundamentals of Noise and Sound
https://www.faa.gov/regulations_policies/policy_guidance/noise/basics#contours - Community Response to Noise
https://www.faa.gov/regulations_policies/policy_guidance/noise/community
Noise Data
STL collects a wealth of data on flight operations, community noise reports, aircraft noise levels . We analyze this data to gain better insight into the impact on our local communities and to know whether noise levels are increasing or decreasing over time.
Questions/Comments
If you have any questions or comments regarding aircraft noise at STL, please contact the Noise Information Office at (314) 551-5070 or noiseinformation@flystl.com.
