ICAO Balanced Approach – why is it important?
Although aircraft have become quieter and airports’ noise footprints have reduced, increased flight operations have counteracted some of these improvements, adversely impacting the communities living around airports. Aircraft noise presents an increasing threat to airline operations and growth. It is a significant environmental concern that has consequences for communities, airlines, and the overall sustainability of the aviation industry.
What can be done to address aircraft noise? The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) has established the “Balanced Approach” as the primary global policy on aircraft noise. This is found in Annex 16, Volume I of the Chicago Convention, and is enshrined in the EU Regulation 598/2014 and referenced in the USA-EU Air Transport Agreement.
The principle of the Balanced Approach is to provide noise mitigation measures through four pillars:
- Reduction of noise at source
- Land-use planning and management
- Noise abatement operational procedures, and
- Operating restrictions.
The regulator should identify the pillar or pillars that can address noise concerns in a cost-effective and transparent manner while still preserving connectivity benefits at the airport. The final pillar, operating restrictions, should only be used as a last resort if the other pillars are insufficient to address noise concerns.
One of the key strengths of the Balanced Approach is that it is not a one-size-fits-all solution. It is designed to be adapted to the specific context of each airport. Frankfurt Airport, for example, has implemented various noise abatement operating procedures, including increased use of westerly flight paths to avoid local communities and a satellite-based approach procedure between 23:00 and 05.00 to optimize arrival trajectories. Stansted Airport, by contrast, focused on its objective to have 94% of aircraft arriving on Runway 22 and 65% of aircraft arriving on Runway 04 during the core night period (23:30 to 06:00) perform a continuous descent approach, which can reduce arrival noise by up to 5 decibels.
“The Balanced Approach for noise management is an effective and fair process,” says Colette Zraibi, IATA’s Assistant Manager, Noise. “It helps reduce noise through quieter aircraft, better land-use planning, and smarter flight operations procedures without compromising an airport’s operations. Its strength lies in its flexibility and global consistency: when all stakeholders apply it uniformly, it delivers meaningful noise reduction without compromising connectivity or economic growth.”
Despite the effectiveness of the Balanced Approach, however, operating restrictions are still unfortunately proposed by some authorities as a first and immediate solution to reduce aircraft noise, rather than as a last resort. The Dutch government’s 2022 decision to reduce Schiphol’s airport capacity without applying the Balanced Approach, for example, led to legal proceedings, underscoring the importance of adhering to internationally agreed frameworks.
“When operating restrictions are implemented without regard to the Balanced Approach, the consequences can include reduced connectivity for passengers and cargo, negative financial impacts (not only on airlines but also on all industry stakeholders), and international trade disputes.” Zraibi adds. “We call upon regulators to follow the Balanced Approach to address noise concerns, considering operating restrictions only where justified – and never as a first solution.”
