The FAA has responded to the noise impact complaints of the new NextGen flight paths with a work plan intended to demonstrate how seriously they are taking our local cry for relief. The FAA has agreed to investigate mitigations suggested by the local advocacy group, Save Our Skies, but has also made it clear that any adjustments would need to be tested before implementation, which takes a minimum of six months. In the near term, the FAA will investigate violations regarding flight altitudes, noise associated with jet breaking, and other so-called Class B airspace regulations which could be addressed in a much shorter timeframe.
However, many of us feel that the plan simply does not go far enough in addressing the impacts. Senators John McCain and Jeff Flake of Arizona have introduced federal legislation that establishes an FAA process to mitigate noise impacts from recent flight path changes and would allow local airports and communities to be involved in future flight path decisions. The legislation is still pending discussion and action by the Senate.