Due to the proximity of Logan to residential communities throughout the Greater Boston Metropolitan area, Massport has been continually working to minimize the impacts of noise on the surrounding neighbors since 1975.
Logan was one of the first airports in the nation to install a noise monitoring system in communities, which is now used to direct Massport’s aggressive noise abatement efforts.
In 1986, Massport instituted noise abatement rules to reduce impact of noise from aircraft operations on neighboring communities. The Boston Logan International Airport Noise Rules included restrictions on certain runways, some ground operations, and prohibition of old, noisy engine technology called Stage 2 during the sensitive nighttime hours. Boston Logan is open for aircraft flights 24 hrs/day. The noise rules, however, restricted the type of aircraft that could operate at night to Stage 3 (quieter) class of commercial jet aircraft. For over a decade, Massport’s rules banned late night Stage 2 flights. On January 1, 2000, federal regulations went into effect which prohibited Stage 2 aircraft weighing more than 75,000 lbs. Recently, the FAA issued a final ruling prohibiting all Stage 2 aircraft even those weighing less than 75,000 after December 31, 2015. Since 1999, the number of Stage 2 operations weighing less than 75,000 lbs at Logan has dropped from 36,865 flights per year to 33 flights per year. All areas around Logan Airport have benefited from the elimination of these Stage 2 engines as air carriers and cargo operators modernize their fleets in compliance with FAA mandates.
Massport also has been aggressive at discouraging the use of Stage 3 "hush kitted" aircraft. These planes just barely made the FAA mandated noise cut off. In 2011, 99% of commercial jet activity was "new" Stage 3 and 4 aircraft (the quietest jets), up from 75% in 2000. Some of this fleet improvement was due to Massport's proactive work with air carriers such as Delta and US Airways, who replaced their noisy shuttle fleet (about 22,000 flights per year before 2001) with state of the art Boeing 737-800 and Airbus 319/320 aircraft; and some resulted from the retirement of many re-certified Stage 3 aircraft after 2001.
Massport’s Noise Abatement Office was formally established in 1977 to implement these noise rules. The office helped the FAA and Logan air carriers analyze how airport noise affected local communities so that steps could be taken to further reduce the airport’s impact on surrounding residents. The office maintained a 24-hour noise report line that allowed Logan’s neighbors to report excessive airport noise. The noise report line number is 617-561-3333 .
In 1981, Logan became the first airport in the nation to receive a grant from the FAA to test the benefits of soundproofing in public schools. Massport began soundproofing East Boston High School, which became the first public soundproofed school under this pilot program. This pilot program led Massport to begin soundproofing. Since the initial launch in 1983 of the soundproofing program, more than $170 million has been spent on over 11,000 dwelling units and 36 schools.
