Aviation Noise
Introduction
Sustainable development dictates that environmental, social, and economic demands be reconciled. Sustainability issues revolve around the three pillars to reduce the adverse effects of noise pollution on the environment. The aviation industry provides a plethora of social and economic opportunities such a cultural integration through enhanced global connectivity, job opportunism, and a seamless supply of goods and services but also comes with environmental costs alike. Noise, a significant problem of aviation, refers to undesirable sound capable of causing irritation, distraction, and hearing loss and sleep disorders (CANSO and ACI 2015, P.10). Fundamentally, noise from the aviation industry constitutes significant sustainability problems given the irritation, stress, cardiovascular, impaired hearing, reduced communication performance, interference with sleep, among other challenges. Identifying particular concerns such as noise challenges and mitigation measures will help address the problems.
Summarize the sustainability problems for broader society that are associated with noise from the aviation industry.
Aviation noise stems from the engine of aircraft when air is passed into the turbofan due to sucking and ejected out at high velocity. Moreover, noise is also produced during landing by planes, moving vehicles, and machinery at the airport. Evidence suggests that noise pollution has adverse health effects for workers of the aviation and the surrounding communities. Noise pollution may trigger cardiovascular disease, impaired hearing due to damaged ears, and heightened stress due to inadequate sleep (Whitelegg and Cambridge, 2004 p.22). The most affected persons due to noise emission from the airports are children who may develop sleep disorders, heart rates, immune systems, and psychological and physiological state. Noise pollution, when not controlled, may violate an individual’s right to enjoy sleep. Also, noise pollution from aviation has a profound influence on concentration and work productivity within and outside the airport. Exposure to noise may also cause accidents due to a lack of focus (CANSO and ACI 2015, P.10).
Importantly, noise pollution presents aviation operators with challenges of striking a balance between economic gains and business externalities such as damage or adverse effects to the environment. Aviation managers must plan accordingly to ensure that aviation operations do not violate or disrupt the surrounding environment (CANSO and ACI 2015). They must ensure that plans (both strategic and operational) are made limit exposure to noise. This included installing new and efficient engines that emit negligee noise, installing soundproof and absorbent walls. The New plans for aviation construction must be sighted away from human settlements.
Choose any three of the recognized management functions as highlighted and described in the presentation you received before being given this assignment (directing, planning organizing, staffing, controlling, communicating.)For each of your chosen management functions, provide examples of how the aviation industry operated manage noise by applying that form of management. Evaluate the effectiveness of each of the three management approaches highlighted.
The planning role provides the opportunity to address the problem of noise pollution from the aviation industry. Successful management of aircraft noise forms the basis of sustainability goal by ensuring the harmonious wellbeing of both aviation growth and ecological prosperity. Planning refers to the management function of prioritizing objectives and deciding the appropriate course of action for realized the set objectives (Carpenter, Bauer, and Erdogan, 2012, p.28). Of particular planning type is the strategic planning, which underscores the s opportunities, threats, strengths, and weaknesses of the organization or sector. This way, the organization can then position itself to maneuver effectively amid the challenges. Once the organization realizes that noise pollution is a challenge for an organization that can bring its downfall due to lawsuits, civil actions and closure due to non-compliance the directors and managers of the aviation industry may brainstorm opportunities for improvement, resources, and goodwill to go about the challenges, and new benefits that will arise from the new undertaking such as opening new airports and routes.
Figure 1: Graphical data indicating commercial aircraft noise reduction between 1955-2015, Source( CANSO and ACI, 2015, p.10)
Planners in aviation may consider replacing old engines with new and efficient ones that do not emit noise in the strategic plan. Also may adopt operational planning aimed at subunit goals and objectives (Carpenter, Bauer, and Erdogan, 2012, p.28). This way, operators may manage specific challenges such as the background noise associate with moving tracks and repairs. The health and safety department personnel are most likely to fit in the planning committee and establish the activities that need to be mitigated. For example, the operational planning may require that the godown are equipped with soundproof walls, and moving vehicles equipped with silences to minimize background noise.
Figure 2: Heat map showing noise output and impact in the new and old layout, Source (CANSO and ACI, 2015, p.16).
Generally, any planning initiative occasioning a change in airport physical layout or airspace requires consideration of an assessment of the expected noise impacts include the direct and background noise emissions (CANSO and ACI, 2015, p.10). Understanding the internal and external environment of the airport will help iron out suitable alternatives for operations to engage. The Environmental impacts assessment will also allow all stakeholders, including the local communities, to air out their particular concerns. Potential areas of interest in planning entail time of day or week sensitive to noise such as evening, sensitive locations such as hospitals, the scale of change, and background noise. Importantly, the managers can discharge the organizing function, which involves developing an effective organizational structure and allocating personnel to actualize the goals and objectives. The organizational structure makes it possible for the operators to coordinate the human resources (responsible for various tasks and duties) and efforts towards the minimizations of safety. Besides, managers in the aviation industry concern themselves with designing jobs for employees of the aviation departments. In their position, they make decisions on the roles and duties of aviation employees (Carpenter, Bauer, and Erdogan, 2012, p.29). Therefore, Directors and HR manager in the aviation companies in their organizing role will create the job design involving duties and tasks and then allocate professional to the Health and Safety department as well as the resources for managing the problem. It is also worth noting that noise pollution is a problem that requires teamwork; therefore, managers can take note of teamwork and empowerment principles when executing job designs and personnel who fit into such jobs.
Another role for aviation managers pertains to leading. It entails providing influence and guidance to the workforce towards attaining the organizational goals. Effective leadership positively influences the workforce by injecting enthusiasm, setting the right tone and attitude, and motivating the workers (Carpenter, Bauer, and Erdogan, 2012, p.30). Managers must also understand the personalities, beliefs, and emotions and selecting appropriate and flexible work plans and schedules for effectively undertaking the organizational activities and events. In particular, employees different personalities encompassing feelings, thoughts, and behavioral patterns that vary under different circumstances, which managers may rely on to design the job description and place staff according to the responsible department such as Health and safety, logistics, and accounting.
Threats to aviation business resulting from poor noise management
The successful management of noise is becoming a critical part of the aviation industry in different parts of the world as it is a vital part of sustainability. The wider aviation industry should demonstrate to the local authority that they have a long-term plan to commit to environmental protection to ensure the wellbeing of the community around. Failure to demonstrate proper noise management could have various threats to the aviation business. One of the threats includes the inability of the aviation business to grow. This may mainly occur, if the aviation business is planning to grow and its past records demonstrate a failure to comply with the noise regulations. In such a case, if the application for the airport growth may be rejected by the authority. If the affected community campaign against the airport expansion, the aviation business is likely to be denied the growth permit (Canso 2015 P. 7). Poor management noise has hindered some aviation businesses from expanding their runways. For instance, in the year 1970s, MASSPort attempted to expand the Logan International Airport by 33R.15L (National Academy of Sciences 2020, P.16). The construction was started; however, the local community opposed the expansion of the runway. They blocked the bulldozers and stopped the construction work. Consequently, the aviation company was ordered by the court to stop the construction process. The growth of the business was hindered since the court order the firm not to construct more runways.
The other threat posed by the poor management of noise is the flight delays and cancellations of lights caused by the aircraft noise restriction regulations. Due to poor noise regulation in the aviation industries, the government authorities have intervened by introducing noise curfews at the airports. As a result, many flights have been canceled and delayed. This was experienced by aviation firms such as Delta Air Lines. In the year 2001, January 5, the company’s Flight 1285 departed from John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City with about 98 passengers. The aircraft had planned to take some passengers to Atlanta, and some to Washington DC. However, due to the noise curfew at the National Airport, the flight was delayed forcing some passengers to make other travel arrangements (National Academy of Sciences 2020, P.16). Such delays and cancellations lead to poor customer satisfaction.
Poor management of noise also makes some aviation businesses to experience the mandatory phasing out of their noisy aircrafts by the authority. This is a financial loss to aviation companies with aircrafts that can be phased out since the phased out aircrafts can no longer be in the fleet. In response to the negative impacts of noise pollution caused by the aviation industry, Congress has been forced to various regulations to address the issues. Among the regulations include the “Phase-Out” Provision of the Airport Noise Act of 1990, which required the phasing out of stage two aircrafts (Tsilas 2011, P.90)
The other threat faced by the aviation business due to failure to manage noise is the financial losses cause by fines. To control the issues caused by noise, various acts such as the Civil Aviation Act have been implemented in order to make charges and fines airlines in relation to aircraft noise (Butcher 2017, P.13). Such penalties could have negative implications on the financial status of the aviation business.
Opportunities for aviation businesses created by effective noise management
The successful management of aircraft noise is an essential part of the success of the aviation business. Effective management of noise in the aviation industry creates many opportunities for the aviation business. Among the opportunities created by the effective noise management is the growth opportunity. Aviation companies with a good reputation in relation to noise management have a higher chance of getting planning approvals and building consents for infrastructure from not only local government, but also the central government. This is attributed to the fact that aviation companies that have managed to control their noise gain support and acceptance from the local community. This a significant growth opportunity for aviation business because their proposal for expanding, especially their runways, will be approved based on their strong support from the local community and authorities. Demonstrating the company’s commitment to environmental and community protection is vital for the growth of the aviation business (Canso 2015 P. 7).
The other opportunity gained by the aviation business for effectively managing noise pollution is that they gain a good reputation in the market. In the current competitive airline business, a company’s reputation is vital. One of the ways of building a good reputation in the market is by meeting the corporate social responsibilities. A company’s positive reputation usually creates brand loyalty, which serves a significant opportunity in the market. This is attributed to the fact that just like any other business, customers take cues from the activities engaged by an airline. This implies that an airline that effectively controls its noise is more likely to attract more customers. This leads to an increase in profitability for an aviation business (Seo & Park 2016, P.65). A good reputation in the market provides a long-term business opportunity by promoting the discriminative superiority of an aviation firm.
Effective management of noise also creates an opportunity for aviation companies to avoid financial losses caused by failure to comply with the noise regulations. This reduces issues such as delays and cancelation of flights caused by failure to manage noise in the aviation industry. Regular cancellation and delay of flights destroy the reputation and brand images of aviation companies (National Academy of Sciences 2020, P.16).
Conclusion
Conclusively, noise from the aviation industry constitute significant sustainability problems such as the irritation, stress, cardiovascular, impaired hearing, reduced communication performance, interference with sleep among other challenges. Effective management of noise management increased business opportunities in the airline market. Aviation companies that effectively manage their noise are more likely to enjoy their growth opportunities. This is attributed to the fact that such companies gain the support of the local communities and authorities. Moreover, such firms are more likely to increase their profitability, because the proper management of noise enables the companies to earn a good reputation in the market. However, if the firms poorly manage their noise, they risk missing growth opportunities because they can be denied the growth permits by the relevant authorities. Moreover, they may incur losses due to fines and penalties for failing to comply with noise regulation rules.
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List of references
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