SHERMAN OAKS—The Los Angeles City Council voted to call on the Federal Aviation Administration to conduct a noise study at the Van Nuys Airport in an effort to control increased jet noise. Jet noise has gotten worse and noise complaints have risen 622 percent in the past year.
The City Council’s vote is the first step in convincing the FAA to change procedures that shifted more airplanes over Sherman Oaks, Encino, Studio City, and other affected areas in 2017. Residents have been complaining about the noise since.
Back in February 2019, residents made complaints with the transportation committee. One of the residents of the affected areas expressed to the committee on February 27, “I can no longer work from home. I can’t take phone calls from home. I can’t even work on a difficult proposal from home because of the noise.”
After eliminating the use of Stage 2 jet engines at Van Nuys Airport there was a reduction in noise complaints in the area from businesses and residents alike. The FAA implemented a change to an abiding “no early turns” instruction for take-offs that resulted in departing jets unable to make turns until they were south of the Sepulveda Basin, according to the approved motion.
The new change resulted in jets forced to fly at low altitudes over Encino, Sherman Oaks, and other effected areas including the Santa Monica Mountains. Before jets were able to fly over the unpopulated Sepulveda Basin.
The motion instructs the Los Angeles World Airports to formally request that the FAA undertake a Part 175 process at Van Nuys Airport. This would allow the FAA administrator to adopt navigation departure procedures or amend existing procedures that would direct aircraft over noise prone areas.
The motion’s amendment included a request for the FAA to consider the relationship between any changes in departing flight guidelines, procedures, or instructions at Van Nuys Airport on the noise impacts on Los Angeles Communities caused by airplanes departing from the Hollywood Burbank Airport.
