Airports across Europe may become noisier in the coming decades as climate change warms the air, according to new research from the University of Reading.
The study, published in Aerospace, shows that rising temperatures will alter the way planes take off, leading to more noise pollution for communities living near airports.
When air is warmer, it becomes less dense.
This reduces the amount of lift that aircraft wings can generate, meaning planes must stay closer to the ground for longer after takeoff.
Because departing aircraft will climb at shallower angles, the noise footprint on the ground will spread farther than it does today.
The researchers used climate models to project noise changes at 30 major European airports, focusing on the Airbus A320, one of the most common aircraft used for short-haul flights.
They looked at the 50-decibel noise boundary, a level at which aircraft noise becomes noticeable and potentially disruptive for nearby residents.
Their findings suggest that average climb angles will decrease by 1–3% by 2050, depending on how much greenhouse gas pollution continues.
On particularly hot days, climb angles could be reduced by as much as 7.5%. These changes will mean more people will fall within the 50-decibel noise footprint.
In central London, around 60,000 residents are currently exposed to this level of noise from departing aircraft. By mid-century, local climate changes combined with population growth could bring an additional 2,500 people into this noise zone.
The increase will be even more pronounced for low-frequency noise, which travels farther and is especially disturbing to humans, often linked to stress, fatigue, and sleep disruption.
“Over the next three decades, thousands of extra people in London could be blighted by noise pollution caused by climate change,” said Dr. Jonny Williams, the study’s lead author.
“The deeper, low-frequency sounds will be the most affected, and these are particularly annoying to human ears.”
Professor Paul Williams, who also contributed to the study, emphasized that noisier flights are yet another challenge climate change is adding to aviation. “Alongside stronger turbulence and increased risk of airport flooding, we can now add airport noise as one more consequence with serious effects on nearby residents,” he said.
The researchers warn that unless greenhouse gas emissions are reduced, noise management around airports will become increasingly difficult—even as aircraft engines become quieter through technological improvements.
For communities living under flight paths, climate change could mean not only hotter days but also louder skies.
Source: University of Reading.
