AIRLINES and aircraft makers know all too well that those who live near airports or below busy flight paths view them as the neighbours from hell. And the problem could get far worse. The industry is desperate to maintain today’s 5 per cent annual growth in passenger numbers. Unfortunately this growth roughly equates to a tripling of air traffic by 2030. Governments won’t allow the industry to triple its noise pollution, so something has to give. “Quiet design is now a fundamental requirement for new aircraft,” admits Billy Glover, Boeing’s director of environmental performance.
The biggest guns in the aerospace…
