Scottsdale Council to Discuss Jet Noise on May 21st

Posted By The Peak on May 17, 2019

May 17, 2019′

Courtesy City of Scottsdale

City Council to hold Tuesday discussion to address jet noise from Sky Harbor flights

The Scottsdale City Council will meet at 5 p.m. Tuesday, May 21, to consider approval to authorize the Mayor to submit comments on behalf of the city to the Federal Aviation Administration. The city’s comments will address issues arising from redirected Sky Harbor air traffic that has detrimentally affected Scottsdale residents and provide alternative solutions.

Scottsdale City Hall

Tuesday’s discussion comes after coordination with a national aviation consulting firm to develop two modified departure flight paths for the FAA ‘s consideration.

Scottsdale residents are encouraged to support the city’s recommendations and express their concerns about the impact of current Sky Harbor flight paths to their neighborhoods and quality of life. The FAA is accepting written comments on flight path corridors through Thursday, May 23.

“We believe that that the NextGen flight paths placed over Scottsdale were ill conceived and a mistake,” said Scottsdale mayor W.J. “Jim” Lane. “We need to convince the FAA to reconsider.”

Upon approval, Scottsdale will provide the follow recommendations to the FAA:

• Modify departures from Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport to fly far to the east of Scottsdale and east of the Ft. McDowell Yavapai Nation.
• An acceptable alternative would direct Sky Harbor departures slightly to the east of Scottsdale.

Download Scottdale’s flight path recommendations here. (PDF)

The comment period is part of a court-ordered process to address noise impacts by examining the FAA’s “Next Gen” flight path changes implemented at Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport in 2014, when longstanding flight routes in and out of Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport were changed with the introduction of satellite-based navigation. These changes concentrate air traffic over heavily populated portions of Scottsdale. Neighborhoods within Troon, DC Ranch and McDowell Mountain Ranch are particularly impacted by eastbound departures.

The city of Scottsdale has delivered numerous letters to the FAA citing issues of increased noise, physical vibrations of residences and the negative effects the flight path changes are having on our residents’ daily lives. We have also asked the FAA to engage with affected communities, implement reduced aircraft speeds, restrict aircraft altitudes and change throttle up patterns.

With feedback from this process and other factors such as operational safety and efficiency, it’s the city’s goal to convince the FAA to initiate new airspace changes.

Holly Walter
Public Information Officer
City of Scottsdale
3939 N. Drinkwater Blvd.
Scottsdale, AZ 85251
Office: (480) 312-2655

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