The true definition of irony, someone living under a flight path in western Australia is somewhat of a prolific complainer.
So much so, that their complaints amounted to nearly half of Australia’s aircraft noise reports last year.
Data provided by Airservices Australia reveals that the unidentified person from Perth made 20,716 complaints about the sound of overflying aircraft in 2023.
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To put that into perspective, there were 51,589 complaints in total last year, which is more than double the tally of 25,178 in 2022.
According to the data, the runner-up complainant – who hails from the Brisbane area – made 4,701 complaints.
Airservices Australia is responsible for managing air traffic in Australian airspace.
It recently provided a submission to a Senate inquiry into the impact of aircraft noise on cities and regional centers.
Just imagine living under a flight path when the iconic Concorde aircraft was still in service.
Vintage footage shows Concorde departing from Heathrow with fiery afterburners.
This 2003 footage shows how extraordinary it was to live near London Heathrow Airport as Concorde took off.
It goes without saying that people who live under flight paths can be adversely affected by traffic passing overhead.
The reality is, noise pollution from aircraft can harm a person’s health and well-being.
Not only that, though, as research suggests it can also impede children’s school performance, disrupt sleep quality, and even increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, according to the UK Civil Aviation Authority.
Research has been conducted about one specific airport in the US, Baltimore-Washington Thurgood Marshall Airport.
It found that loud noise from aircraft also has financial implications on residents, owing to lost productivity and the need for medical treatment.
What’s more, the study estimated that the combined medical cost burden for those living under the flight path would be $800 million over 30 years.
