ACI EUROPE urges EU to enforce Balanced Approach on aircraft noise
Triggered by a growing pattern of non-compliance across EU Member States, ACI EUROPE is urging the European Commission to take immediate action to uphold the Balanced Approach to aircraft noise management – a legal requirement and a critical tool for safeguarding Europe’s air connectivity.
This call to action follows the Commission’s recent decision on operating restrictions at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol. ACI EUROPE warns that Schiphol is not an isolated case: airports in Belgium, Italy, Ireland, and elsewhere are increasingly at risk of having operating restrictions imposed without following the legal process. This threatens not only individual airports’ ability to respond to growing passenger demand but also undermines the integrity of the EU’s aviation policy framework.
Aircraft noise is a deeply sensitive issue – often politically charged and emotionally driven. That is precisely why the Balanced Approach exists: to ensure that noise is managed responsibly, transparently, and effectively. Operating restrictions must always be a last resort, considered only after all other noise mitigation measures have been evaluated.
What does effective noise management look like? It means:
- Smarter land-use planning to stop noise-sensitive development near airports;
- Incentivising the uptake of quieter aircraft through fleet modernisation;
- Genuine, inclusive dialogue between airports, airlines, communities, and local authorities to shape local solutions, including noise abatement operational procedures;
ACI EUROPE also warned that unilateral, disproportionate restrictions imposed outside the Balanced Approach framework do not only affect airports – they also undermine the connectivity and competitiveness of the entire EU aviation sector.
Find out more here.
