OIA sees spike in noise complaints

ORLANDO, Fla. — Orlando International Airport has received a spike in noise complaints, with more than 500 filed in the first three months of 2019.

People living near the airport seem to agree that not all jet noise is created equal.

Daniel Torres lives near the airport and pointed out how some planes fly lower than others on approach.

“When that one’s higher, it sounds further away. But when they’re low, you hear it a lot more, and lately they’ve been a lot lower than before,” he said.

Torres considers himself tolerant of the noise and said he enjoys watching the planes fly over. 
But some of his neighbors hate it.

“Even though the flight paths are the same, folks who live north of the airport and on the western side are just noticing an increased volume,” said Judith-Anne Jarette, assistant director of operations for the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority.

Jarette said some people have gotten “clickers,” which is a button they press every time they hear a plane. The clickers are tied into the airport’s complaint system.

“What I think people don’t understand is one complaint is taken just as seriously as 100 complaints from the same person,” she said.

That’s possibly inflating totals—but another factor includes changes to routes to accommodate runway maintenance, which is sending planes over new sets of homes.

The airport has also seen a big increase in traffic. A few years ago, the airport handled 850 flights a day. The airport now handles 1,100 flights a day.

“It’s just the growth in aviation that we’re seeing,” said Jarette.

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