Finding 7
In separate commissioned studies, the NJCER and the PANYNJ indicate (although with varying numbers) that ocean routing would provide benefits by reducing noise compared to present routing procedures. In short, with ocean routing, the number of residents who would have their noise levels at DNL45 or greater reduced by 3 dBA or greater would be materially increased compared to those who would have levels raised by 3 dBA or greater.
In addition, both NJCER and PANYNJ acknowledged that an ocean routing plan would cause additional delays because of the added travel for an aircraft on the ocean route prior to such aircraft assuming the actual departure route.
Delays at night would be less than delays during day hours.
Although ocean routing would cause additional delays, quite possibly, a matrix of policy decisions combined with equipment, process and technological interventions could reduce delays in other arrival and departure activities that could mitigate and offset the impact of the additional delays caused by ocean routing.
Consensus is needed on a defined southerly route for aircraft departing Newark International Airport. Reaching consensus is important. The subject route (and its relationship with JFK departing aircraft utilizing this corridor as well) is a critical factor in the level of noise impacting residents -- whether they live in the urban areas surrounding the airport, or in suburban communities throughout New Jersey as well as Staten Island.
The optimum and equitable resolution on the issue of ocean routing and southerly routes will be possible only if the modeling and "what-if" scenarios are developed from unbiased platforms with reliable data that are subjected to scrutiny by all stakeholders -- some of whom (residents of urban areas) have not been adequately recognized in forums and media reports. This will require the development of consensus ground rules regarding data input to models. Clearly, a number of scenarios to reduce aircraft noise other than ocean routing should be considered. Discussion and analysis should not be narrow.
Recommendation 7
The FAA should experiment with and model a wide array of departure and arrival profiles. This should include, but not be limited to, higher altitude, unrestricted climbs, and ocean routing flights. The profiles should be dynamic to reflect the dynamic nature of routing.
Finding 8
Military control of airspace affects civil air traffic routing. The military controls much airspace in the off shore airspace for periodic exercises. Consequently, civil use of off-shore airspace, known as the warning areas, is either limited or disallowed.
There is evidence that increased flexibility for civil use of space now restricted for military use could be introduced without compromising military requirements. Such flexibility would enhance the feasibility of developing improved routing plans including a possible acceptable ocean routing plan.
Recommendation 8
The potential for civil use of military airspace on a strict not-to-interfere basis with military operations should be investigated. The present use of this airspace should be critically reviewed to find windows of opportunity for civil aircraft passage. The States should provide leadership for negotiations with military officials. This leadership must be well versed in both military and civilian procedures, demeanor, and air requirements.
Finding 9
Historically, airport landing fees were designed to cover the cost of replacing the physical facility such as runways. For that purpose, weight based allocation of costs was appropriate. Today, economic costs such as the allocation of airspace and airspace resources far exceed physical cost issues.
A propeller aircraft operating in the departure phase of flight uses a slower speed than a jet aircraft. When propeller and jet aircraft are positioned to operate on similar flight paths, this often requires increased spacing between aircraft and significantly reduces the efficient use of limited airspace.
The typical jet spends five minutes in TRACON Airspace compared to the average of 10 minutes for propeller craft. A typical commuter type propeller aircraft uses 50% more of Newark’s airfield resources than a jet because jets require approximately one minute or more between departures and propeller craft require approximately 1.5 minutes or more. This is an important consideration during the redesign of airspace because jet operations are more efficient from an airspace utilization standpoint than propeller operations. Commuter type propeller aircraft are approximately 30% of departures at Newark but only carry approximately 9% of the passengers using Newark. While a commuter type propeller aircraft proportionately uses more of Newark’s resources, such an aircraft pays approximately 83% less per operation than a jet.
Commuter type propeller aircraft are indirectly subsidized through the fee structure. Jet fees have increased approximately 10% per year since 1984.
During the same period, the fees for smaller aircraft have remained constant. Airport capacity is a scarce resource. The FAA and PANYNJ have limited tools to increase airport capacity due to congested airspace and physical constraints. Pricing is a legitimate tool for allocating scarce resources.
Recommendation 9
At Newark International Airport, a pricing plan should be given serious consideration for implementation that reflects the difference between propeller and jet aircraft operations. However, this scheme should not encourage additional nighttime traffic.
Finding 10
Strategies to reduce aircraft noise could involve increased operational costs and also require investment in community mitigation programs, aircraft equipment, technology, and personnel. A noise mitigation fee could provide significant revenue to offer incentive funding to accelerate effective noise reduction strategies.
Recommendation 10
The FAA should give serious consideration to implementing a per ticket noise mitigation fee to increase available incentive funding to support innovations, operation improvements and community mitigation efforts designed to reduce noise. Controls should be in place to assure that all funding be dedicated and expended only on noise reduction and mitigation initiatives.
Finding 11
Newark International Airport is one of the most challenging and stressful air controller sites in the nation. The FAA has taken action to increase the number of controllers authorized for Newark and to improve compensation packages for controllers working at Newark. However, Newark is still operating below the full authorization level. Operating at less than an authorized level exacerbates an already challenging situation.
Recommendation 11
The FAA should launch a major effort to recruit and train additional cohorts of air controllers in order to staff full performance level (fully trained) air controllers at Newark, JFK, and LaGuardia at full authorization levels. To facilitate recruitment and retention, the FAA should consider further adjustments of the compensation packages for controllers working at Newark, JFK, and LaGuardia.
Finding 12
The presence of an airport can impact the value of commercial and residential properties both positively and negatively. While a number of prior studies included detailed analysis on Newark International Airport as an economic engine for the region, none of the prior studies attempt to estimate an economic benefit to real property for populations that would benefit from reduced sound levels.
The NJIT Study Team conducted a preliminary review to determine impact on real estate values in noisy versus quiet communities from an aircraft fly over perspective. It is important to note that the NJIT Study Team’s work and related cost figures are preliminary in nature; however, the work does suggest a relationship between aircraft noise and property values.
Recommendation 12
Additional analysis should be conducted as part of the FAA airspace reconfiguration to develop and utilize cost figures associated with real estate values as a function of aircraft noise. The analysis also should assess the overall beneficial and negative impacts of an airport and various aircraft routing plans to both commercial and residential neighbors.
Finding 13
Recent studies and past reports tended to treat the problem of aircraft routing and community impact as adversarial matters. If the stakeholders continue to approach the matter as adversaries, success in reaching a satisfactory solution to the aircraft routing problems facing the region will be unlikely. It is critical that all stakeholders, including the airline industry, citizen groups, and state and local government agencies, have seats at the table as informed participants as the FAA sets out to redesign the New Jersey and New York metropolitan airspace.
All stakeholders (not just the FAA, PANYNJ, and the industry) should have access to reliable information to facilitate informed and equitable discussion and negotiation among stakeholders. The principles, tools, and methodologies identified in this study could be used by stakeholders to evaluate proposed models.
Unbiased modeling will provide an opportunity to move from adversarial bickering to reliable analysis and effective negotiation as the basis for sound public policy decisions and public/private investments.
Recommendation 13
All stakeholders, including appropriate state and local government agencies, community groups, and the airline industry should be included as active and informed participants in the assessment of routing plans.
Finding 14
New Jersey is the most densely populated state in the nation. The New Jersey and New York metropolitan airspace is the busiest in the nation and arguably the most complex and congested airspace in the world. More than 6,000 flights take off and land daily in the New Jersey and New York metropolitan area.
Aircraft traffic congestion has been exacerbated at Newark International Airport by a steady increase in traffic over the last decade. Newark passenger traffic has grown at 4.5% annually since 1991. An important factor to consider in the context of this growth is that runway and taxiway space at Newark International Airport is severely limited.
The region's complexity, congestion, and Newark’s limited runway space make flight delays almost inevitable. At the three major metropolitan airports, delays cause serious problems and place constraints on the traveling public and airport operations at departure sites and arrival destinations. A Continental Airlines analysis estimated that congestion and air traffic control delays in the metropolitan area cost the industry and the public over $200 million a year.
From the outset of this project, the NJIT Study Team has recognized that issues related to aircraft delays and noise are not one-dimensional. Rather, they are interconnected with a complex array of problems and challenges involving the environment, the economy, and personal quality of life issues for people living near airports or aircraft routes. In addition, air traffic issues related to Newark International Airport cannot be discussed in isolation without reference to JFK and LaGuardia Airports and the intermodal transportation issues of the region. Suburban issues cannot be discussed without reference to urban issues.
Representatives of both NJCER and PANYNJ have stated publicly that they would not endorse plans that would adversely impact a "new" population in New Jersey regarding aircraft noise. However, in reality, most rerouting plans (including ocean routing) would impact some new population, particularly residents of the urban communities in close proximity to the airport. As widely reported in the media, the departure route for westerly destinations from Newark International Airport was shifted from 220° to a bearing of 260º as part of a six-month routing evaluation program initiated on March 15, 1998. Experience shows that this six-month program impacted some new populations.
The complexity of issues related to reducing aircraft noise requires all stakeholders to take a holistic approach and review noise issues together with other issues such as:
Technology improvements
Infrastructure improvements
Military requirements
Capacity to meet forecasted increased demand at Newark International Airport
Given the many variables, solutions that will please all parties are extremely unlikely. New Jersey and the region are dealing with a complex problem of optimization among many variables. For example, one option to resolve issues related to Newark -- building another major international airport -- has been met with determined opposition throughout the region. A second set of options -- infrastructure investments to provide access and capacity improvements to near-by airports such as Stewart and Mercer-Trenton -- is years away.
On the positive side, continuing advances in an array of technologies and software development provide significant new windows of opportunity to address the complex issues related to effective aircraft routing. These new technologies and software are robust resources capable of providing more effective solutions for noise, safety, and operational issues that previously seemed intractable.
While many issues related to air traffic are complex and diffused, the issue of accountability is clear. The PANYNJ has responsibility to operate the three metropolitan airports and the FAA has statutory responsibility for the redesign of the national airspace. Given that accountability, aircraft noise impact mitigation in the region still is a responsibility shared by the Congress, the FAA, PANYNJ, air carriers, and state and local governments.
To a large extent, the role of State and local government is to inform and influence the decision making of the FAA, the Department of Defense (DOD) and the PANYNJ. Currently, State and local government and citizen groups are at a disadvantage in their capability to participate effectively in the FAA, DOD, and PANYNJ air routing policy decision making process.
The States and local governments lack the resources to do the computer modeling required for "what-if" analysis in routing planning. The FAA and the industry have this capacity. Reliable, unbiased and expert advice should be available to the States and local governments to level the playing field between the States (representing the public) and the FAA, DOD, and industry.
The States need the capability to experiment with models that include detailed assessments of an array of scenarios that project operational, environmental (including noise), and economic impacts. The availability of a robust, unbiased independent resource center would provide a foundation for cooperation and collaboration among all stakeholders as the region and nation develop an effective, efficient, and equitable airspace redesign.
Recommendation 14
In addition to the proposed FAA national resource center in Virginia, a separate robust independent regional resource center should be established to conduct sophisticated and unbiased modeling and testing to determine the potential viability of various aircraft routing scenarios for the New York and New Jersey metropolitan area.
The proposed center would interact with the proposed FAA center. Modeling activities at the proposed independent center should be implemented as soon as possible and should be coordinated with the FAA airspace reconfiguration initiative launched in July 1998. In fact, the proposed modeling could provide a "test bed" and platform for "what-if" scenarios that could facilitate and expedite the FAA reconfiguration project.
Federal funding to fully equip and staff this center should be sought in the Aviation Act that will be considered by Congress. At present, FAA has a six-month authorization. A new FAA appropriation bill will need to be passed this winter or early in the spring of 1999.
Conclusions
Aircraft routing and related decisions in the Northern New Jersey and New York metropolitan area affect the quality of life of millions of residents.
In addition, Newark International Airport has an enormous impact on the region’s economy, particularly on employment and future economic development in the region. Over 18,000 people are employed at the airport. According to the PANYNJ, Newark International Airport contributes $11.3 billion in economic activity to the New Jersey-New York metropolitan region, including over $3.3 billion in wages from some 110,000 jobs derived from airport activity. This economic activity is growing with Continental Airlines preparing to spend at least $700 million to expand its Newark facilities and the PANYNJ planning to spend another $500 million. The expected expansion and modernization which includes a $25 million FAA control tower could add over 1,000 construction jobs at Newark. In addition, good aviation service continues to be a key factor contributing to business and job growth in the region.
Window of Opportunity
Clearly, the FAA National Airspace Redesign initiative has the potential to provide the critical path for future improvements in aircraft operations and reduced noise impacts in the New York and New Jersey area. Also, rapid developments in software and technology (coupled with possible operational improvements) present significant windows of opportunity for resolution of issues related to aircraft noise, safety, and economics -- issues that previously have appeared to be intractable.
As the FAA moves forward, it is essential that aircraft routing changes or decisions to maintain the status quo be reached through a fair and open process, weighing economic, environmental and quality of life considerations with operational and business considerations. The evidence is significant that the software and modeling packages described in this report make such an open process practical at a reasonable cost.
Need for Interim Action
Reconfiguration of the national airspace is a formidable task and time-lines to complete the work are not yet clear. It is not unreasonable to estimate that the national airspace reconfiguration could take up to five or six years to implement fully. Because of this potential time lapse, the Study Team recommends that interim measures for noise relief (which do not severely restrict capacity) be examined, tested, and implemented while awaiting completion of the full airspace redesign. The following are some of the measures that could be implemented while awaiting completion of the redesign:
Accelerating and adequately funding recruitment and training programs to staff full-performance air controllers at the authorized level for Newark
Negotiating increased flexibility from the Department of Defense (DOD) for civil aircraft flights
Initiating an optimization study to facilitate maximum utilization of airport facilities, particularly runways
Experimenting with an array of departure and arrival profiles including, but not limited to higher altitude, unrestricted climbs, and ocean routing flights
Giving serious consideration to a pricing plan at Newark International Airport that reflects the difference between propeller and jet aircraft operations.
The Study Team has found no single silver bullet to resolve the problem of aircraft noise. However, a matrix of actions discussed in this report have the potential not only to reduce aircraft noise, but to improve operations, management, equipment and concurrently, the quality of life for airport neighbors. The NJIT Study Team is hopeful that our work will provide helpful guidance to stakeholders as the National Airspace Redesign is launched.
Principles, Tools, Resources and Methodologies Essential to an Aircraft Routing Plan and the Evaluation of Routing Plans
The following elements are essential for the formulation and evaluation of aircraft routing plans. Inclusion of these items would facilitate a fair evaluation of routing plans in terms of aircraft operations, allocation of costs, and community noise impact.
Safety: Safety must not be compromised. To even be considered, all alternative routing plans must be essentially equal in terms of safety.
Capacity limitations or other variables may be adjusted to ensure safety.
Thus, safety must not be a variable in routing discussions.
Operations: Effects on aircraft operations, costs and flight delays should be considered. Costs can be expressed on an annual basis and a per-ticket basis. Optimization of runway operations is directly related to flight delays and should be part of the routing algorithms.
Noise descriptors: Day-night sound level and its relation to other noise descriptors should be explained. The study area should include day-night noise level contour plots.
Noise impact: Noise impact should be calculated for the entire study area. The value of quiet, or conversely, the cost of noise, is more difficult to quantify than the added cost of aircraft fuel utilized due to arrival or departure delays. However, full and fair weighting requires dollar impact values as well as descriptive measures of all considerations. A noise impact study should include but not be limited to:
Total real estate value in each DNL contour band
Value change in each DNL contour band
Physiological and psychological effects of aircraft noise: The airspace redesign project should include information and analysis on speech interference, sleep interference, and other quality of life effects caused by aircraft noise.
Stakeholder equity: An impartial study demands an assessment of the equity of all stakeholders. The airlines and PANYNJ have an enormous investment in air travel to and from Newark. This investment, along with operating costs, must be reflected in airline ticket prices and facilities charges. The general public has a major stake in air travel, particularly through indirect subsidies and reliance on air travel for business and private necessities. Residents in neighborhoods bordering the airport have their life savings invested in their homes that are impacted by airport operations. State agencies, such as New Jersey Transit, the New Jersey Turnpike and the New Jersey Department of Transportation, have billions of dollars invested in the intermodal transportation network of which Newark International Airport is a key element.
The interests of all stakeholders must be represented at the table as the FAA launches the redesign of the New Jersey and New York airspace.
Subsidies to air travel: The decision to travel or not to travel is often affected by price. The effect of subsidies on the number of daily operations should be estimated. The value of the contribution of direct and indirect subsidies to air travel should be determined on a per-ticket basis and as an annual total for large and small aircraft. This information will aid in developing a routing plan that distributes costs, benefits, and burdens on all parties in a fair manner. NJIT Study Team makes no recommendation for or against subsidies to air travel.
Direct subsidies: The value of direct public subsidies (if any) attributable to Newark International Airport carriers should be determined. Minor route subsidies should be included if in effect at the time of the study.
Indirect subsidies: The study should examine the approximate value of tax-free bonds attributable to Newark International Airport. The corresponding interest differential may be considered an indirect subsidy to aircraft operations. In addition, the value of Newark International Airport real estate should be determined. In-lieu-of rent and tax payments should be compared with potential rent and tax income to the City of Newark and potential tax income to the City of Elizabeth. The potential value of New Jersey State sales tax on airline ticket sales should be calculated as well.
Policy, law, and shared responsibility: Relevant laws, regulations, and policies must be considered in developing and evaluating routing plans. A valid study must examine the effect of current laws, regulations, and policies on the task of giving appropriate and fair consideration to environmental issues (including noise impact) with the need for adequate efficient air service. If an optimum balance is not possible under existing laws, regulations and policies, then changes should be recommended.
Methods of noise modeling, software, and modeling assumptions should be described: Computer simulations are used in airspace and airport modeling to evaluate capacity and operations. The optimization of landbased operations is critical. The reconfiguration of airspace should not focus only on air operations.
Existing operations and future demand are used as inputs to these models in support of the decision making process. The primary issue in the modeling process is safety. As noted above, safety cannot be compromised. Airport and airspace efficiency is secondary. NJIT Study Team reviewed modeling software currently used by various stakeholders and endorsed by the FAA. The Study Team also reviewed software that is being tested on behalf of or by the FAA for potential use.
Four software packages are described in this report: SIMMOD, the Integrated Noise Model (INM), Airspace Design Evaluation and Planning Tools (ADEPT) which contains the Noise Impact Routing Systems (NIRS), and the Total Airspace and Airport Modeller (TAAM). Larger entities such as the FAA and airlines use TAAM. The other software is more appropriate for smaller groups, such as private consultants and citizen groups. The complexity of TAAM requires much more training than that required for SIMMOD or ADEPT.
TAAM and SIMMOD data may be manipulated for use as input to INM to evaluate aircraft noise.
NJIT Study Team found all of the reviewed software packages to be effective and reliable with two important assumptions -- that the operators are well trained and that the input data is scientifically defensible. Pending the beta testing of NIRS and the FAA’s decision regarding future uses, INM is the software of choice for current aircraft noise studies.