Air traffic noise

(information from the yearbook Prague Environment 2006)

The number of checked-in passengers passing though the Airport Prague - Ruzyně exceeded the limit of 10 million in 2005 for the first time. In the course of 2006 the dynamic growth in the number of passengers continued. In June 2006 the International Airport Prague - Ruzyně checked-in 1,147,115 passengers, which is twice as much as five years ago. In the first half of 2006 5,117,79 persons passed through the Airport Prague - Ruzyně, which represents the increase by 5.5 % compared to June 2005.

The company of Letiště Praha, s. p. recorded the increase, compared to 2005, in other important indicator – the number of aircraft moves. The total number of aircraft moves (taking offs and landings) reached the number of 79,017 in the first half of 2006 while in the same period of 2005 it was 76,793.

At present the company of Letiště Praha, s. p. provides its service for checking aircrafts and ensuring for air traffic safety to 57 airline companies connecting Prague to 118 destinations all around the world.

However, the development in the air traffic noise burden has not follows this increasing trend. Owing to the replacement of the extremely noisy aircraft with airplanes of lower noise parameters, caused either by international regulations, EU regulations, and fee policy of the company of Letiště Praha, s. p., there is no continuous growth in the noise burden. Noise control measures and procedures applied in the airport operation, published in the Air Information Bulletin of the AIP CR, have also contributed in significant manner.

In the course of the year legislation on health protection against noise has been amended (requirements of the EU directive were transposed into the Czech legal system) and the executive regulation was amended as well – the Order of the Government of the Czech Republic No. 148/2006 Code on health protection against adverse effects of noise and vibrations, which essentially changed the measurement and assessment procedure of air traffic noise.

At present the company of Letiště Praha, s. p. has been preparing the documentation for the planned construction of the parallel runway RWY 06R/24L pursuant to the Act No. 100/2001 Code, which will also include the update and supplement to the noise study of air and road traffic, including the study of health hazard assessment in accordance with the valid legislation. The documentation will also take into account not merely the present operations at the Airport Prague – Ruzyně yet also the perspective state in 2010.

The company of Letiště Praha, s. p. has been permanently striving for the minimisation of the burden of the airport surroundings with noise emissions. Applying the operation limitations aimed at the air traffic noise reduction, economic measures in the form of noise fees, and the programme of noise control measures (replacement of windows) the company cares that adverse impacts of air traffic, namely increased noise level, affect the life of people in the sensitive areas (residential areas) as less as possible especially in night time. Moreover, in January 2006 in cooperation with the City District Prague 6 the company of Letiště Praha, s. p. called for the “Competition for the most environmentally friendly air transport agent”. The competition was for the period from 1 January 2006 to 30 September 2006, results were continuously published on the Internet pages of the company of Letiště Praha, s. p. and the City District Prague 6 (www.prg.aero, www.praha6.cz). This contest has the objective to motivate airline companies to adhere to approaching and taking-off procedures as much as possible in the closest vicinity of the airport