Aircraft/Airport noise is
a major cause of noise disturbance to residents living near airports. Sleep can
be affected if the airports operate night and early morning flights. Aircraft
noise not only occurs from take-off and landings, but also ground operations,
including maintenance and testing of aircraft. Noise can have other noise
health effects. Other noise and environmental concerns are vehicle traffic
causing noise and pollution on roads leading to the airport. The construction of
new airports or addition of runways to existing airports, is often resisted by
local residents because of the effect on countryside, historical sites, local flora
and fauna. Due to the risk of collision between birds and airplanes, large
airports undertake population control programs where they frighten or shoot
birds. The construction of airports has been known to change local weather
patterns. For example, because they often flatten out large areas, they can be
susceptible to fog in areas where fog rarely forms. In addition, they generally
replace trees and grass with pavement, they often change drainage patterns in agricultural
areas, leading to more flooding, run-off and erosion in the surrounding land. Some
of the airport administrations prepare and publish annual environmental reports
in order to show how they consider these environmental concerns in airport
management issues and how they protect environment from airport operations.
These reports contain all environmental protection measures performed by
airport administration in terms of water, air, soil and noise pollution,
resource conservation and protection of natural life around the airport.