Regulatory Alert: FAA Solicits Nominations for Appointment to the Aircraft Noise Advisory Committee

July 10, 2026

Today, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued a notice to solicit nominations for members to serve on the new Aircraft Noise Advisory Committee (ANAC). Under the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024, Congress directed the FAA to establish the committee to provide recommendations to the agency on issues facing the aviation community that are related to aircraft noise exposure and existing FAA noise policies and regulations. FAA has publicly indicated that the agency will not make any changes to its noise-related policies or regulations until it receives recommendations from the ANAC.

FAA must receive nominations from individuals interested in serving on the ANAC no later than Monday, August 10. You can find details on how to submit a nomination in FAA’s Federal Register notice, which was published this morning. If you are planning to submit a nomination, we encourage you to provide a courtesy notice to Justin Barkowski. AAAE will want to support and coordinate with any airport representatives who serve on the ANAC.

FAA Noise Policy Review. In 2021, FAA released its long-awaited “Neighborhood Environmental Survey” (NES), which demonstrated a “substantially higher percentage of people highly annoyed by the entire range of aircraft noise levels” in comparison to the last study completed in 1992. In 2023, FAA requested comments on the agency’s “noise policy review” (NPR), which includes looking at use of DNL as the primary noise metric for assessing cumulative aircraft noise exposure.

AAAE submitted comments in response to the NPR, emphasizing that FAA has not produced sufficient research that would support changing the noise metrics and thresholds that are used during Part 150 studies and reviews of proposed airport development projects under NEPA. We also pointed out that overflight communities have been the predominant source of complaints to FAA in recent years because of NextGen implementation and air traffic and procedural changes. We urged FAA to focus its attention on addressing these concerns.

Aircraft Noise Advisory Committee. In 2024, under section 792 of the FAA reauthorization law, Congress directed FAA to establish the ANAC to advise the agency on issues facing the aviation community that are related to aircraft noise exposure and existing FAA noise policies and regulations. The ANAC must consist of at least nine members, including representatives of engine manufacturers, air carriers, airport owners or operators, aircraft manufacturers, advanced air mobility manufacturers or operators, institutions of higher education, and airport-adjacent communities from across the country.

As required by Congress, the ANAC will focus on five topics:

• The evaluation of existing research on aircraft noise impacts and annoyance;
• The assessment of alternative noise metrics that could be used to supplement, modify, or replace the existing DNL standard, in consultation with the National Academies;
• The evaluation of the current 65-decibel exposure threshold, including the impact to land use compatibility around airports if such threshold was lowered;
• The evaluation of current noise mitigation strategies and the community engagement efforts by FAA with respect to changes in airspace utilization, such as the integration of new entrants and usage of performance-based navigation; and
• Other duties determined by the FAA Administrator.

Representatives of airport owners or operators who are interested in serving on the ANAC are encouraged to review the solicitation notice issued today to ensure they provide all the requested information. Nomination packages must be submitted to FAA no later than Monday, August 10.

What’s Next? Separate from FAA’s ongoing NPR, under section 786 of the 2024 FAA reauthorization law, Congress directed FAA to update the Part 150 regulations that govern airport noise compatibility programs. However, FAA has publicly indicated that the agency will not move forward with its NPR or update to Part 150 until recommendations from the ANAC are provided to the agency. As a result, the ANAC’s recommendations are expected to be influential, and AAAE will be engaging with the group to ensure the airport perspective is considered on these important issues.