Overnight Aircraft Traffic Over Niles Set To Increase: FAA

NILES, IL — Nighttime noise from planes taking off and landing from O'Hare International Airport is expected to get louder in parts of Niles and other suburbs in the area under changes to overnight flight paths proposed by the Federal Aviation Administration.

The FAA is re-evaluating an environmental impact statement for the O'Hare Modernization program addressing a proposal for an interim Fly Quiet program set to begin in November and run until 2021, the Niles Journal reported.

Public meetings on the proposal are being held in this week and the FAA is accepting public comments on the draft until Feb. 27.

Under the proposal, four primary runways would be used during 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. According to the Journal, FAA officials anticipate a 53-fold increase in the proportion of nighttime arrivals of aircraft approaching over Niles, Glenview, Park Ridge and Des Plaines.

The flight path for aircraft arriving under the other diagonal runway set to be used in the new Fly Quiet rules runs over Winnetka, Wilmette, Niles, Park Ridge and Rosemont. Some areas, including Lyon School in Glenview, are expected to see average noise increases of more than 6 decibels, the Journal reported.

Read more from the Niles Journal

The FAA is accepting public comments for consideration ahead of a final written re-evaluation of the proposed O'Hare Modernization Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed Interim Fly Quiet Runway Rotation Plan.

Public workshops have been held this week in Elk Grove Village, Niles and River Grove where members of the public can ask questions of the FAA and its consultants directly and submit comments in person. A final meeting is set for Thursday from 2 to 8 p.m. at The Diplomat West, 681 West North Avenue, Elmhurst.

Comments and related documents can also be submitted online or by mail to:

Amy Hanson
Environmental Protection Specialist
Federal Aviation Administration
Chicago Airports District Office
2300 East Devon Avenue
Des Plaines, IL 60018

Or by email or fax to 847-294-7046

More information about the Fly Quiet Program is available from the Chicago Department of Aviation. The O'Hare Noise Hotline can be reached at 1-800-435-9569 and noise complaints can be submitted online.