Long-standing noise abatement agreements between neighborhoods and Love Field are being broken
DAVID TAFFET | Senior Staff Writer
taffet@dallasvoice.com
The debate over noise levels at Love Field is getting noisy again. No, this isn’t about wanting to close down an airport that’s been there 100 years now that we’ve just moved into the area. That was the argument made against those wanting regulations in the 1970s and ’80s after DFW Airport opened and Southwest still wanted to fly out of Love Field. It is about wanting the airport to stop violating noise agreements already agreed to by all sides and already in place.
Most people who live in Oak Lawn love that they’re just minutes away from their flight. But the airport and airlines did make some concessions to be a good neighbor.
Love Field agreed to limit scheduling flights to between 6 a.m. and 11 p.m. And neighborhood groups agreed that two flights after hours was something the area could live with. But two flights have turned into 11 flights.
That’s 11 flights scheduled for later than 11 p.m. plus some charter and business flights that don’t adhere to the agreements at all and generally fly smaller — but noisier — aircraft than Southwest, Delta or Alaska Airlines.
Although the Dallas City Council will hear proposals on how to address the problem, and even though the city of Dallas owns and operates Love Field, “The FAA regulates all matters relating to aviation operations at Love Field,” explained Steve Klein, co-chair of the Love Field Citizens Action Committee.
So, regardless of the city council’s decisions on those proposals, the city can’t actually enforce a curfew on commercial or even general aviation at the airport. Still, Klein said, the FAA strongly encourages voluntary agreements between airlines, airport operators — in this case the city — and affected neighborhoods. But the FAA gets the last word.
And so far, those 11 flights that land between 11 p.m. and midnight are not a problem to the agency.
Airlines and the city have participated in the Voluntary Noise Program for more than 30 years. And one thing that’s been the cornerstone of the program was the 11 p.m. curfew. Other features have included using more modern aircraft, especially when aircraft manufacturers were just coming out with quieter jet engines in the 1990s. Southwest made it a priority to fly its newest planes in and out of Love Field.
One problem with Southwest using its quietest planes recently is that its quietest plane — the 737 Max — was grounded after two crashes by foreign airlines involving the plane.
In 2021, City Manager T.C. Broadnax wrote to City Auditor Mark Swann that the Voluntary Noise Abatement Program hadn’t been reviewed in 30 years. The Department of Aviation, he said, would be responsible for making recommendations to update the program to bring it in compliance with current federal law taking into consideration residents who live around the airport.
In a letter addressed to stakeholders, among Klein’s other recommendations to address the growing problem is to retain the 20-gate limit at Love Field. Adding gates would allow airlines to add flights and more flights increase noise frequency.
Klein recommends the airport and city “communicate regularly with area neighborhoods and citizens, and increase advisory efforts with airlines and general aviation regarding status of the Voluntary Noise Program.”
Klein said he expects a report to be released and reviewed at the Sept. 20 Dallas City Council meeting.