Airport infrastructures are not only fundamental centres of activity that drive the economy and social and cultural development, as well as being the backbone and integrating element of regions and states, they are also entities that interact with the environment on which they are built.
The need to make the development of air transport compatible with the conservation of natural integrity and quality of life in the airport surroundings requires an action plan based on balance between economic, social and environmental factors, which allow us to move closer to a sustainable development model.
In particular, noise pollution is one of the main environmental aspects generated by airport activity. Hence, reducing noise levels to a minimum and protecting the quality of life of the populations in the airport environment has become one of Aena's priorities.
Specifically, noise pollution is one of the main environmental aspects caused by airport activity. For this reason reducing noise levels to a minimum and protecting the quality of life in populations near airports has become one of Aena's priorities.
Of all the activities that take place in an airport, the main sources of noise are aircraft take-off and landing operations.
In this regard, the measures put into practice by Aena aimed at reducing the inconvenience the noise causes for the surrounding population are set out in the framework of the "balanced approach" adopted by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) in the resolution of Assembly A33-7 of October 2001, and ratified by resolution A36-2 of September 2007.
The balanced approach provides ICAO contracting States with an internationally agreed approach to dealing with the problem of noise in airports. The approach comprises four main elements: reduction of noise at the source, land-use planning and management, noise-reduction procedures and operations and restrictions on aircraft operations.
This line of work is complemented by adopting other measures that are equally important, such as ongoing impact assessments carried out by control and monitoring systems, information provided to local authorities, stakeholders and the general public on aspects of the environment, the collaboration of various sector agents which allow us to identify areas of improvement, and the implementation of corrective measures through noise abatement plans which guarantee the fulfilment of noise quality objectives inside buildings.
