Aspen/Pitkin Airport Doubles Down on Noise Reduction

Building on its noise-abatement program introduced in 2007, the advisory board at Colorado’s Aspen/Pitkin County Airport (KASE) has released the next phase with a new voluntary program for aircraft operators. Known as the Fly with Integrity Noise Program, this latest evolution is an outshoot of the 2020 ASE Vision Process, which examined how the airport should be modernized to accommodate the Aspen-area’s air service needs and aims to reduce airport-related noise emissions by 30%.

The program will apply to Part 135 and Part 91 operators, as well as airlines, classified according to number of operations. It will use data from a variety of sources—third-party radar data, year-round noise monitoring, and observations from airport and consultant staff, among others.

Operators will be evaluated under a rubric of five compliance measures and three bonus measures, which also will be used track the success of noise-reduction efforts. The former includes fleet noise quality, high noise events, curfew, measured quiet departure, and noise contour size, while the latter consists of commitment to minimize ground noise, sustainability commitment, and quietest aircraft types.

Its grading system is based on the percentage of compliance, with end-of-year reports issued for each operator. Results will be processed into a 0-100 rating system to demonstrate which operator is the best in each category and how each operator rates. This data will also be published online.