Turning to Chapter February 2001

ICAO’s Committee on Aviation Environmental Protection (CAEP) has come up with a Chapter 4 noise standard which is 10 decibels lower, on a cumulative basis, than the current Chapter 3 standards. Although this standard will apply to all new aircraft from 2006, its practical impact on manufacturers will be negligible as current production models meet this standard (the A380 will meet -14dB). Unsurprisingly they have welcomed the decision, while airports wanted a greater noise reduction.

What airlines have to worry about is the implementation of operational phase–out rules, an issue that the EC and the US DoT are now addressing. A substantial proportion of the world fleet is affected by the -10dB standard, according to an analysis by Campbell Hill who have been consulting to CAEP — over half the existing jet fleet, with an estimated current market value of $106bn.

Residual values for aircraft like the DC–9 and MD–80 are already dropping fast. Perhaps more surprisingly, two thirds of the 737 Classics and 40% of the A320s will be impacted. Over half the 747 fleet will fail at the new standard.