The sustainability of the development of the airport and environmental protection issues are, together with the quality of services and safety, a priority for Toscana Aeroporti. In this perspective, Toscana Aeroporti controls the impact of noise levels on the territory by adopting an airport noise monitoring system compliant with the technical and structural specifications issued with DM 31/10/97 and DM 16/03/98.
The system has the purpose of monitoring the impact of noise generated by airport activities on the areas surrounding the airport.
The Florence airport has adopted a system for the monitoring of its noise levels by measuring the noise produced at ground level to assess the impact of sound and mitigate its effects on the environment.
The noise level monitoring system allows for:
- monitoring the sound pressure caused by flight operations on the areas surrounding the airport;
- measuring and recording the noise of flight operations continuously with a network of phonometers and radar tracing instruments;
- managing relationships wit the community by publishing data on noise levels.
The effects of the noise produced by flight operations can be monitored continuously by crossing the information provided by this system.
The airport noise monitoring activity is performed by TA – Florence under the supervision of local public bodies (DA ENAC, ARPAT-Area vasta Centro-Settore Agenti Fisici). In particular, ARPAT accesses the airport noise monitoring system and periodically conducts parallel measurement campaigns to check the correctness of data.
The Public Viewer tool is now available at the Florence airport. This instrument aims to improve the transparency and communication of information regarding the noise produced by aircraft operating at the Peretola airport, showing citizens in real time the flights taking off, landing, and the related noise recorded by the control units of the monitoring system.
By clicking on each control unit, it is possible to view the noise levels, expressed in chromatic form.
A special Commission, created pursuant to art. 5 of DM - Ministerial Decree - 31-Oct-1997 and chaired by ENAC, consisting of the representatives of the Ministry of the Environment - ISPRA, ENAV (the National Board for Flight Assistance), the municipalities bordering the airport, the Province, the Tuscany Regional Government, ARPAT, representatives of the air carriers and TA, operates at the Florence airport and has established the following policies over the years:
• noise abatement procedures;
• airport noise zoning;
• aircraft noise mitigation and abatement measures.
As regards the Florence airport, ENAV provides Toscana Aeroporti with radar tracings of the flights operated by the airport, so that the Airport Operator can analyse them and detect any possible violation of the noise abatement procedure concerning takeoffs from runway # 23, i.e. Towards Quaracchi/Peretola (see AIP AD 2 LIRQ 1-10).
The airport noise zoning approved by the Florence Airport Commission on 10 May 2005, which defined the airport surrounding areas and the related buffer zones (Zones A, B and C defined in the Ministerial Decree of 31 October 1997), applies to the Florence airport.
The table below shows the regulatory limits established by the above-mentioned Ministerial Decree for the LVA index.
The LVA index
The noise produced by landing and departing aircraft is determined by using the method described in the applicable Italian legislation (DM 31/10/97) by using the so-called LVA indicator (Airport Noise Level Assessment). A number of devices record the noise generated by flying aircraft, which is measured by using several parameters, including the SEL (Sound Exposure Level). The logarithmic sum of all the SELs recorded by each device in a given day determined the daily LVA for that device. By measuring noise pressure, this system allows for the determination of the noise descriptor called “LVA” . The annual LVA is the logarithmic mean of the daily LVAs recorded over the three peak weeks, which are the weeks with the highest number of movements, as identified in the following three quarters of the year:
1 October - 31 January;
1 February - 31 May;
1 June - 30 September.
The phonometer network
TA-Florence constantly monitors the airport noise impact through a network of monitoring devices in compliance with the technical and structural specifications issued with DM 31/10/97 and DM 16/03/98, consisting in the following main components:
• Four fixed measurement devices located in four different points of the territory of the Municipality of Florence under takeoff and landing paths of the Florence airport and a mobile measurement device. The fixed devices are called “Gonio”, “Poste”, “Alcatel” and “Silfi”, the mobile device "Carrello".
• A central data capture and storage system, consisting of the necessary software and hardware to capture and process the data collected by the devices and by externa sources, such as the radar tracings transmitted by ENAV.
• SARA Software (airport noise system capture) required for the analysis and processing of data, correlation of phonometric data with flight data, calculation of noise descriptors, particularly LVA, for the presentation of results. SARA is capable of discriminating noise events caused by aircraft and correlating them to flying operations to eventually validate the data obtained. SARA has been tested by MATTM (Ministero dell'Ambiente e della Tutela del Territorio e del Mare - the Ministry of the Environment and for the Protection of the Territory and the Sea) and is compliant with the guidelines issued by ISPRA.
TA-Florence constantly monitors the airport noise impact through a network of monitoring devices in compliance with the technical and structural specifications issued with DM 31/10/97 and DM 16/03/98, consisting in the following main components:
• Four fixed measurement devices located in four different points of the territory of the Municipality of Florence under takeoff and landing paths of the Florence airport and a mobile measurement device. The fixed devices are called “Gonio”, “Poste”, “Alcatel” and “Silfi”, the mobile device "Carrello".
• A central data capture and storage system, consisting of the necessary software and hardware to capture and process the data collected by the devices and by externa sources, such as the radar tracings transmitted by ENAV.
• SARA Software (airport noise system capture) required for the analysis and processing of data, correlation of phonometric data with flight data, calculation of noise descriptors, particularly LVA, for the presentation of results. SARA is capable of discriminating noise events caused by aircraft and correlating them to flying operations to eventually validate the data obtained. SARA has been tested by MATTM (Ministero dell'Ambiente e della Tutela del Territorio e del Mare - the Ministry of the Environment and for the Protection of the Territory and the Sea) and is compliant with the guidelines issued by ISPRA.
This is the distribution of the measuring devices around the airport:
The measuring device Gonio is installed in Zone B, in privately owned property
adjacent to the airport on the side of the head section of runway # 05. The measuring device is positioned on the wall of a building and the microphone is at approx. 6 metres from the ground level; the measuring device is positioned at approx. 300 metres from head section 05.
The measuring device Poste is installed in Zone A, on the flat cover of one of the buildings of the mail sorting centre adjacent to the airport on the side of the head section of runway # 23. The measuring device is located at a distance, measured as the crow flies, of approx. 1,000 metres from the head section runway # 23 and is positioned at approx. 3 metres from the walking level. The “Poste” monitoring position is also equipped with a weather station capable of continuously detecting wind and rain direction and speed, and atmospheric temperature and pressure.
The measuring device Silfi is installed in Zone A, in the private property of a busines, positioned at approx. 1,400 metres from the head section of runway # 05. The measuring device is positioned on the ground and the microphone is at approx. 6 m from the ground level. This monitoring device is also equipped with a weather station capable of continuously detecting wind and rain direction and speed, and atmospheric temperature and pressure.
The measuring device Alcatel is outside the surrounding airport area, in a private property. The measuring device is positioned on the ground and the microphone is at approx. 6 m from the ground level; the measuring device is at a distance, measured as the crow flies, of approx. 1,700 m from the head section of runway # 05.
The mobile measuring device called Carrello is provided with a telescopic microphone boom and the microphone is at approx. 3 metres from the ground. The measuring device is positioned from time to time in different places around the airport, generally in the vicinity of aircraft paths.
The regular scheduling of airline, charter and general aviation flights is permitted during the 0500-2200 (0400-2100) time slot.
In the night-time slot 2200-2300 (2100-2200), by way of derogation from 6.1., the scheduling of a maximum of three airline flights is permitted on arrival only.
During the time slot 2200-2315 (2100-2215), subject to the carriers' maximum prior notice, the following will also be ensured:
- the arrival of delayed airline and charter flights;
- the arrival of positioning flights carried out with aircraft destined for immediate deployment in the public air transport service.
Departures of commercial flights are not permitted after the maximum time limit of 2200 hours (2100).
Landings of commercial flights are not authorised after the maximum time limit of 2315 hours (2215).
State, emergency and humanitarian flights are insured H24.
Charter flights of national and foreign football delegations are ensured H24 in accordance with the guidelines issued by the Italian Civil Aviation Authority (ENAC).
Landing aircraft are forbidden to make use of reverse thrust beyond the limits provided in the operations manual, except in case of security reasons.
On the EAST apron, it is forbidden to keep propulsion units and APUs switched on for longer than the time required to carry out the start-up procedure for departure.
On the WEST apron, the use of the on-board APU generators is permitted from 30 minutes before departure to 30 minutes after arrival; the use of the H-mode device is permitted for a maximum of 15 minutes.
- From 2200 to 0500 (2100-0400) and from 1300 to 1500 (1200-1400) engine tests are prohibited except for aircraft that are to be operated immediately.