The purpose of this hearing is to update the current status of the European Union efforts to ban hush-kitted aircraft from landing at the EU s airports. The United States has been in discussions with the EU in an attempt to resolve this issue.
Aircraft noise affects communities surrounding or located near airports.
To combat aviation noise, Congress passed a law that imposes significant noise restrictions on the aviation industry. The most stringent of these restrictions, known as Stage 3 noise restrictions, require most commercial jets to be fully Stage 3 compliant by December 31, 1999. Once an aircraft is certified as having met ICAO standards, it may be used in any ICAO member country. ICAO certification gives operators and investors assurances of worldwide marketability for the normal life cycle of an aircraft. Chapter 3 and Stage 3 noise restrictions are the most stringent noise restrictions currently in effect and significantly reduce the amount of noise experienced by people near airports.