BACKGROUND
Airports use noise and operations monitoring systems (NOMS) to collect, manage, analyze, and communicate data such as flight tracks and procedures, aircraft identification, noise measurements, community complaints, and weather. These systems also can be used to respond to complaints and provide stakeholders with information about aircraft activity and noise, thus fostering trust and transparency.
While NOMS can be beneficial, they require both financial and technical investment; moreover, airports may not have resources and industry knowledge to adequately evaluate the benefits and costs of these systems.
Research is needed to help airports decide if a NOMS is appropriate for their situation, evaluate the benefits and costs of acquiring and updating such systems, and determine the general resources needed to acquire, operate, and maintain these systems.
OBJECTIVE
The objective of this research is to develop a primer and a decision-making framework to help airports and other stakeholders assess the benefits and costs of acquiring, maintaining, and updating an airport NOMS.
The primer should describe current state of the practice in the United States, including, but not limited to:
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General overview of the core features and functions of NOMS;
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Types and approximate number of airports using NOMS;
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Types of data being collected;
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How NOMS are being used;
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Degree of public access and interface with the data (e.g., reports, website portal);
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Order-of-magnitude resource requirements (e.g., costs for acquisition, ongoing maintenance, and staffing needs);
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Potential funding sources;
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Reasons for acquisition; and
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Quantitative and qualitative benefits.
The primer should include a matrix summarizing the information above and representative case study examples of airports that have installed NOMS or chosen not to, including lessons learned.
The decision-making framework should be designed to help airports thoughtfully identify and assess the quantitative and qualitative benefits and costs of acquiring, maintaining, and updating a NOMS. The framework should include simple tools (e.g., checklists, flowcharts) to facilitate the analysis and help airports consider their unique situation.
