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Reagan National Community Noise Working Group

Reagan National Airport, Terminal A - Historic Lobby Conference Center
The Airports Authority continues its outreach efforts in response to community concerns regarding Reagan National aircraft noise affecting residential areas in the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia.
A Reagan National Community Noise Working Group was established in October 2015 to engage broad-based community participation to identify practical aircraft noise solutions and recommendations to the FAA.
Working Group voting stakeholders include community members appointed by elected officials from local jurisdictions, and two airline representatives:
  • Airlines:     American Airlines, Metropolitan Washington Airlines Committee
  • D.C.:           Wards 2, 3, 6, 7, 8
  • Maryland:  Montgomery County:  Bethesda, Potomac
                       Prince George's County:  Accokeek, Fort Washington
  • Virginia:     City of Alexandria
                        Arlington County:  North/South
                        Fairfax County:  At-Large, Dranesville, Mount Vernon
The Airports Authority serves as the facilitator for Working Group meetings and recommendations.  The Airports Authority and FAA serve as non-voting, advisory Working Group members.  The Airports Authority will forward recommendations approved and endorsed by the Working Group to the FAA for consideration and action.
Topics considered by the Working Group include issues related to:
  • D.C. Metroplex - Standard Arrival and Standard Instrument Departure Procedures
  • North and South Flow Operating Conditions
  • Early-morning and Late-night Airline Schedules
  • DCA Nighttime Noise Rule History and Enforcement
  • Airline Fleet Mix
  • Noise Monitoring System
MWAA CWG Recommendation 15
That the FAA propose one or more solutions to mitigate noise levels and frequency of noise
events experienced by people living below the flight path of north flow arrivals on Runway 1. In
developing such solutions, we ask that the FAA give serious consideration to the following
strategies:
1. Raising the altitude at which aircraft fly over populated areas.
2. Changing flight paths to reduce concentration of flights along a single path.
3. Maximizing time over water by creating an alternate flight path following the
Potomac River from a point between Indian Head, MD, and Occoquan Bay.
4. Creating one or more alternate flight paths designed to reduce the number of noise

 events over the same populated area, while giving airlines a more fuel and time-
efficient path option, based on the direction from their point of departure.

 Reasoning:
The Working Group has made various suggestions over the years, and each has been summarily
rejected by the FAA. We believe it will be more useful for the FAA to develop solutions it deems
more appropriate to present to the WG.

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