LAX Noise Management

FAA Southern California Metroplex Project

Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA) is committed to being a good neighbor; we strive to minimize aircraft noise within surrounding communities and keep stakeholders informed of any changes in operations. Therefore, we are providing information on the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA's) Southern California Metroplex (SoCal Metroplex) project, which has modified some flight patterns to/from the Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). LAWA is not a sponsor of this project and has not been involved with the development of changes to flight procedures.

Project Description

According to the FAA, the SoCal Metroplex project is intended to improve the efficiency of the airspace in Southern California by optimizing aircraft arrival and departure procedures at a number of airports, including Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), Burbank Bob Hope Airport (BUR), Long Beach Airport (LGB), Ontario International Airport (ONT), John Wayne Airport (SNA), Santa Monica Municipal Airport (SMO), Van Nuys Airport (VNY), Palm Springs International Airport (PSP), Santa Barbara Municipal Airport (SBA), and San Diego International Airport (SAN). The project involves changes in aircraft flight paths and/or altitudes in certain areas.

Environmental Review Process

The FAA prepared a Draft Environmental Assessment (Draft EA) to consider the potential environmental impacts of this project. This Draft EA was released on June 10, 2015, and included a public comment period for the public to review and submit comments.

The initial review period was 30 days, however after receiving a number of requests for extension, the FAA extended the public comment period by 60 calendar days until September 8, 2015. The FAA subsequently extended the comment period once again by an additional 30 days to October 8, 2015. The FAA was required to respond to comments received by that date and publish them in the Final Environmental Assessment (Final EA) document.

On September 2, 2016, the FAA released the Final EA for the SoCal Metroplex Project. The determination made in the Final EA indicated that the project would not have any significant impacts under the National Environmental Policy Act. The Final EA as well as the Finding of No Significant Impact and Record of Decision, including all final EA documents, have been made available to the public on the FAA’s SoCal Metroplex EA Website.

Public Outreach Efforts

After the release of the Draft EA in June 2015, the FAA held 11 public workshops in locations throughout Southern California to provide information on the project and answer questions. The FAA also conducted approximately 79 additional briefings for stakeholders including community groups, tribes, airport officials, and local, state, and federal officials.

During the implementation phase of the project that occurred from November 2016 through April 2017, the FAA conducted additional public outreach to further inform people about the changes in flight procedures.

Implementation Process

The FAA implemented the new flight procedures in 3 phases starting from November 2016 and ending in April 2017. However, some of the procedures using RNP capabilities have not been implemented to date, as some components (TSAS Tool, aircraft equipage, and pilot trainings) that are required to work in conjunction with these RNP procedures have not yet been materialized for deployment.

  • Phase 1: November 10, 2016 and January 5, 2017
  • Phase 2: March 2, 2017
  • Phase 3: April 27, 2017

Current Status

The FAA is reviewing recently implemented Metroplex procedures to ensure that they function as intended and will make minor adjustments to these procedures if needed.

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