Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Air Traffic topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Commission hears spike in noise complaints after FAA approach change; staff to pursue FAA contacts
Summary
Commissioners were briefed on a sudden uptick in community noise complaints (reported as 178 since early January), traced to a mid‑June change in a published FAA approach. Staff will seek FAA points of contact, brief affected cities and return to the commission next month.
Commissioner Valdez and airport staff reported a sharp increase in noise complaints beginning in early January — 178 reported since the month began, many from the city of Indian Wells. Staff and commissioners traced the spike to a change in a published arrival/departure procedure issued by the FAA (noted as occurring in mid‑June), which concentrated traffic over the same neighborhood.
Valdez described the timeline: after the city of Indian Wells asked the airport to investigate, staff reviewed approach plates and confirmed the published change. The FAA noise portal referred the city back to the airport for complaint handling, and staff said they had reached out to the local FAA Flight Standards District Office for follow‑up but were awaiting a meeting.
Commissioners discussed next steps, including establishing a formal point of contact at the FAA, formally documenting noise‑abatement concerns via the FAA portal, briefing the Indian Wells mayor and city council, and bringing a status update to the commission next month. Staff cautioned the process may take time because FAA routing decisions involve multiple offices.
Why it matters: The change has triggered substantial community reaction and raised questions about how the airport and the FAA coordinate departure/approach procedures. Commissioners asked staff to prioritize outreach to the FAA and to share the noise‑committee presentation with the full commission.
Next steps: Staff will follow up with the FAA, circulate Jake’s noise‑committee presentation to commissioners, and place a follow‑up item on next month’s agenda.
