Suozzi Leads Bipartisan Letter to the FAA Demanding Airplane Noise Reduction

Washington, D.C.— Congressman Suozzi (D-Long Island, Queens) sent a bipartisan letter to Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and Administrator Bryan Bedford demanding a reduction in airplane noise as we head into the summer months, and seeking updates on the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) work to do so thus far. As Vice-Chair of the Congressional Quiet Skies Caucus, Suozzi led 31 other Members of Congress in this effort.

In the letter, Suozzi and the bipartisan group of Representatives highlighted the serious threat aviation noise poses to human health, with impacts going far beyond typical annoyance.

“Airplane noise is more than just a nuisance for families in Queens and on Long Island. It’s a serious quality-of-life issue that affects the mental and physical health of constituents across my district,” said Congressman Suozzi. “For too long, residents have been forced to live with relentless noise overhead. There are solutions that reduce the noise burden on our communities without compromising safety, and it’s beyond time to implement them.”

Given these serious threats, together the Representatives are urging the FAA to act immediately to solicit members for the Aircraft Noise Advisory Committee (ANAC) by the end of June, convene the first ANAC meeting by the end of 2026, and hold public meetings for community members near every U.S. airport that has received 10 or more noise complaints in the last year. Affected communities deserve answers to their quality-of-life concerns.

“The volume of airplane noise complaints we continue to see across the Greater Boston area makes clear that communities are still being overwhelmed by concentrated flight paths and excessive aircraft operations. This year alone, Massport has already received more than 41,000 noise complaints statewide, including about 3,500 from the Eighth Congressional District,” said Quiet Skies Caucus Co-Chair, Congressman Stephen F. Lynch (D-MA). “As Co-Chair of the Quiet Skies Caucus, I remain committed to ensuring the FAA follows through on its obligation to engage impacted communities directly, convene the Aircraft Noise Advisory Committee without further delay, and take meaningful action to address the public health impacts of aviation noise.”

“D.C. residents and airport-adjacent communities across the country deserve relief from excessive aviation noise that disrupts daily life and which, study after study shows, threatens public health,” said Quiet Skies Caucus Co-Chair, Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC). “Congress required the FAA to establish an Aircraft Noise Advisory Committee that includes meaningful community representation, yet the agency has failed to even solicit potential members for the ANAC, 18 months past the statutory deadline. As progress forming the ANAC stalls, there are communities affected by aviation noise that have been denied the opportunity to engage directly with the FAA through public meetings for months, if not years. The FAA must finally give affected residents a seat at the table and engage directly with communities living under flight paths.”

“Airplane noise from O'Hare continues to disrupt my constituents' daily lives and damage their health. As a member of the Quiet Skies Caucus, I have tried to partner with the administration on solving this issue, but the FAA's response has been neither helpful nor satisfactory,” said Quiet Skies Caucus Vice-Chair, Congressman Mike Quigley (D-IL). “If the FAA is serious about reducing airplane noise in our communities, they should meet with the general public to be held accountable. They must also comply with the 2024 FAA Reauthorization Law and establish an Aircraft Noise Advisory Committee capable of helping Americans.”

This letter is also supported by the Aviation-Impacted Communities Alliance (AICA).

“Advocates nationwide applaud the Congressional Quiet Skies Caucus for amplifying the concerns of communities enduring the impacts of aviation every day. Communities’ lived experience must be fundamental to the ANAC when operationalized, and the FAA’s Aviation Noise Complaint & Inquiry Response portal must evolve beyond a complaint intake system to capture systemic concerns and inform mitigation efforts and noise policy discussions. Congressional intent is clear. Communities are waiting,” said Darlene Yaplee, President and Co-Founder of the Aviation-Impacted Communities Alliance (AICA).

Reducing airplane noise has been one of Congressman Suozzi’s top priorities since coming to Congress in 2017. He remains committed to working with federal officials, airlines, and local stakeholders to deliver meaningful relief for affected communities in New York’s Third Congressional District.

Read the full letter here.

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