Anti-noise pact

What is the anti-noise pact?
Alongside the prohibition on night flights, the anti-noise pact is the second pillar in the concept for noise reduction. It points up ways as to how noise protection can be improved in the expansion of Frankfurt Airport.  
The pact is based on the findings of the mediation group and the results of the many discussions carried out by the members of the dialogue forum inside and outside of this body.   
Does the anti-noise pact reduce noise?
The measures cited in the anti-noise pact are aimed at reducing the noise pollution arising from the expansion of the airport, for example by more active noise abatement. The pact establishes clear targets for this. The so-called noise index, which serves as a measure for the flight noise load (see below) is reduced by 10 %. In addition to this, an upper limit for noise pollution is established for Frankfurt Airport which will apply even beyond the year 2020. This will prevent an unrestricted increase in the flight noise after the decision in favour of expansion.
What does the pact cover apart from noise reduction?
The anti-noise pact is primarily concerned with the question as to how noise can be reduced both actively and passively. It also contains a proposal as to how owners of property exposed to noise pollution can be supported in the sense of a good neighbourly approach. Fraport AG could, for example, purchase noise-exposed residential properties from the parties concerned, or pay compensation for the sale of residential properties with particularly high noise exposure.   
Is there any legal right to active noise abatement?
It is repeatedly claimed that the aviation act contains a right to active noise abatement. But this is not the case. Neither the aviation act nor the law for the protection against flight noise make any statement in this regard. Noise abatement is mainly governed by provisions for passive noise abatement, building restrictions and usage restrictions in the noise protection zones.   
Many citizens evoke the right anchored in the constitution to freedom from physical harm. But even this has not led to more active noise abatement being implemented. This is why we have to establish realistically that, under current legislation, the necessary measures for active noise abatement cannot be asserted either by the approval authorities alone or by the courts. They are not actionable. They can only be implemented if the aviation side chooses to do this voluntarily. This situation makes it clear that the anti-noise pact is especially important for active noise abatement.   


What does the aviation side have to do to provide active noise abatement?
Certain measures of active noise abatement are associated with high costs for the aviation side. Modifications to engines, changes in technical equipment on the runways and additional training of personnel can quickly lead to costs amounting to millions of euros in the double-digit range.
Why do we need a flight noise index?
We all know what flight noise is. But how can the people concerned come up with a figure which shows how flight noise is developing and how it can be reduced by active noise abatement? The answer is the flight noise index. This index is what makes it possible to examine the effect of active noise abatement measures. The index also makes it possible to establish an upper limit for noise pollution which may not be exceeded.   
What does the flight noise index tell us?
With the flight noise index it is possible to calculate and express increases and reductions in noise pollution for different areas, flight operations and times. Whether the whole region is affected or individual communities such as Offenbach, Flörsheim or Darmstadt-Wixhausen, whether eastern or western flights are causing the problem, for five years, one year or six months: all of this can be represented with the aid of the flight noise index. The trend of the index reflects the trend of noise pollution for the affected population. The index is scientifically founded. The “day index” is based on assessments of the regional dialogue forum for the noise pollution in Frankfurt, the “night index” on the sleep study of the German Centre for Aviation and Aerospace.   
The day index counts the people subject to “high exposure”.
The day index (FTI) is a measure of the number of people in a certain area who feel that they are very highly annoyed highly impacted by flight noise. It is a good indicator for the noise development and thus also a central measure in international noise impact research. The index for high exposure combines various important factors including data about the location, the number of persons impacted and the extent of the impact. Other figures do not tell us as much and are therefore not sufficient as a basis for measures to reduce noise:
The number of flight movements tells us nothing about how much noise occurs where, or about how many people are affected.  
The representation of noise isophones, i.e. zones where certain noise values occur, tells us nothing about how many people live in these zones and how these people feel individually affected by noise.
The calculation of the number of persons exposed to noise tells us nothing about how high the noise is to which they are exposed.
The night index measures the “additional unremembered EEG wake-up reactions”.  
The night index (FNI) is based on the number of “additional unremembered EEG wake-up reactions” within a certain area. EEG is used to measure unconscious wake-up reactions triggered in a sleeper by individual noise episodes of a certain level. The qualification “additional” is necessary because any sleeping person will experience on average 24 measurable wake-up reactions which he will have forgotten by the morning. This data was collected by the German Centre for Aviation and Aerospace in a large-scale study in the sleep lab. The study concentrated on the additionally generated unremembered reactions caused by noise episodes. These reactions provide a good measure for the noise exposure during the night.