The Concorde Supersonic Aircraft Trial Entry into Dulles International Airport

The Concorde supersonic aircraft is noisier than any subsonic aircraft presently in commercial service. Permitting the introduction of the Concorde or any other aircraft type that cannot presently meet or cannot be modified to meet noise standards is counter to the thrust of the national noise abatement effort. The validity of community response surveys is questionable, and the results should not be used in the formulation of policy on the Concorde. Although Concorde operations accounted for less than one percent of the take-offs and landings at Dulles International Airport, they resulted in 1,387 complaints or 79 percent of the total noise complaints received. The greatest percentage of Concorde complaints concerned take-off. Complaints were also made about structural vibrations. Studies of low frequency noise vibrations during the Dulles test period showed that, although the vibrations generated by the Concorde were greater than those of subsonic aircraft, they did not result in structural damage. Although the Concorde is significantly noisier than subsonic aircraft, only about 21 percent of existing aircraft meet existing noise standards.