Review and formulation of recommendations for action regarding the evaluation of the Act for Protection against Aircraft Noise

The project supports the statutory evaluation of the 2007 Act for Protection against Aircraft Noise (FluLärmG), which is now being carried out for the second time. The study is examining whether the protection concept of the FluLärmG, which is primarily based on structural noise insulation and restrictions on settlement, can still be regarded as suitable for effectively protecting the population living in the vicinity of airports from aircraft noise. In light of developments in noise impact research over the last 20 years, particular focus is being placed on the appropriateness of current threshold values and protection zones. The effectiveness of settlement control and building bans must be reviewed, as must the integration with related instruments such as noise action planning. The aim of the project is therefore to identify potential shortcomings and areas for improvement, and to derive concrete recommendations for the further legislative development of the FluLärmG and other relevant regulations.

Initially, the current state of research, case law and enforcement since the first evaluation will be systematically collated, and the FluLärmG’s protection concept will be mapped out in an impact model. In addition, enforcement authorities, the aviation industry and representatives of those affected by aircraft noise will be consulted via a structured online survey regarding their experiences, shortcomings and needs for change. Proposals for the further development of the FluLärmG, its regulations and related areas of law will then be based on this data. The intention is to design these proposals in a practical manner and to prioritise them according to their urgency. For the airports of Frankfurt am Main, Cologne/Bonn and Leipzig/Halle, various threshold scenarios will also be calculated in order to estimate the impact on noise protection zones as well as the expected costs for passive noise abatement and compensation.