Boston Upgrading Airport Noise-monitoring System

The system for monitoring aircraft noise at Boston Logan International Airport and Hanscom Field is being upgraded to provide near real-time flight-tracking data on the web to the public so they can use the technology to report aircraft noise complaints online. The system consists of 36 field monitors–30 in the communities around Logan Airport and six around Hanscom Field.

Announcement of the upgrade comes amid rising noise complaints. According to Massachusetts Port Authority records, 1,008 callers lodged 5,514 complaints of aircraft noise in the first nine months of this year, compared with 1,847 calls by 357 callers in the same period last year. Venturing a guess at the reason behind the increase, a Massport spokesperson told AIN, “It might be because the website and noise [complaint] line have been widely publicized over the past year or so.”