Noise protection
Mitigating aircraft noise
Munich Airport strives to minimize the impact of flight noise on residents and employees. It applies a range of steps to achieve this, including operational, technical, and financial measures.
MUC: A homebase for low-emission aircraft
The Airbus A350-900 is considered the world’s most environmentally friendly long-haul aircraft. Compared to its predecessor, the A340, it creates significantly lower noise levels: up to 7 dB(A) less on take-off and up to 3 dB(A) less on landing. In contrast to the A340 series, the A350-900 series noise contour is around 40 to 50 percent smaller and its noise level does not exceed 85 dB(A) outside the airport premises. This results in lower aircraft noise pollution in the airport region. Lufthansa is adding four more Airbus A350s to its fleet at Munich Airport in 2022, bringing the total number of these fuel-efficient and low-emission long-haul aircraft to 21.
Comparison of noise contours for the Airbus A340-600 and A350-900
Landing charges: the quieter, the cheaper
To ensure that airlines benefit even more from the use of quieter aircraft, Flughafen München GmbH has further developed the instrument of noise-based charges and significantly increased their share of total charges since June 1, 2021. With 13 instead of the previous eleven noise classes, the new schedule of charges also makes an even greater distinction between quieter and louder aircraft types. Since FMG attaches great importance to the use of quiet, modern aircraft, especially at night, it now levies surcharges on the basic noise charge for flights during nighttime hours. These increase with each half hour from 10 p.m. to midnight until the highest surcharge is reached between midnight and 5 a.m. at 120 percent.
Close monitoring of aircraft noise
From 16 fixed noise measuring points, FMG continuously monitors aircraft noise within a radius of about 20 kilometers around Munich Airport. The measured values recorded can be accessed in real time on the Internet – in addition to numerous other statistics. Compared to the previous year, the increase in air traffic in 2022 was also reflected in the measured noise levels. However, the measured values were below the pre-crisis level of 2019.
Locations of fixed noise measuring points of Flughafen München GmbH
In addition, there are special measuring stations that can record aircraft noise at almost any location within the airport region at the request of the local authorities. One of them even operates autonomously from the power grid thanks to a photovoltaic system and a hydrogen-powered fuel cell. Following a two-year hiatus, the mobile measuring stations were deployed five times in 2022, each time for a period of several weeks: in the city of Unterschleißheim and in the communities of Haimhausen, Schweitenkirchen, Marzling and Poing. These results can also be found on the Internet.
WebReporting mobil (German)
Noise action plan for Munich Airport
The Government of Upper Bavaria has drawn up a noise action plan for Munich Airport at the end of 2021 with the participation of the public and affected communities. This presents steps already implemented as well as future measures to reduce aircraft noise in the vicinity of the airport. With the noise action plan, the Government is implementing the EU directive on the assessment and management of environmental noise for Munich Airport. While FMG is already implementing the noise abatement measures envisaged in the plan, the Government of Upper Bavaria is working on an audit report on the noise action plan. In this context, further public participation is to take place.
Noise action plan for Munich Airport (German)