Prague Airport Changes Noise Charge Structure

“The interest in travelling via Václav Havel Airport Prague continues to grow. The number of passengers has been growing faster than the number of take-offs and landings thanks to the well-set motivational programme for air carriers but, nevertheless, aircraft movements have continued to increase year on year as well. As a responsible company which takes the impact of its operation on the surrounding areas seriously, we have implemented a number of changes with the goal of motivating airlines to adopt a more considered approach to the environment. We want to mitigate the noise burden on areas surrounding the airport at night and set forth a fairer approach which takes into account huge discrepancies in aircraft noise characteristics. Carriers will thus pay more for noisier aircraft and for night-time operations,” Václav Řehoř, Chairman of the Prague Airport Board of Directors, explained.

Until now, noise charges for daytime and night-time operations have been the same. However, there will be a significant increase in charges for take-offs and landings of noisier aircraft at night-time. This measure is to motivate air carriers to use quieter aircraft at night or to move their flights to daytime slots. In addition, for greater efficiency, the number of noise charge categories has been extended from the current five to 14 with the goal of promoting a fairer approach even within a large group of quieter aircraft. The new pricelist also introduces take-off noise charges. In the past, noise charges used to apply only to landings.    

Noise charges are among the tools of the complex approach to aviation operation noise issues applied at Prague Airport. The revenue from noise charges collected from airlines is used to finance noise abatement measures in the airport’s vicinity and to cover the cost of monitoring air traffic noise using both mobile and stationary monitoring posts.

Other noise abatement measures include operational measures and limitations, for example, preferential use of the airport runway system in a way which ensures aircraft do not fly over densely populated areas of Prague, arrival and departure noise abatement measures, restrictions on the use of reverse thrust and engine testing rules.

In the past, the airport has performed the complete replacement of windows of apartments and family houses, schools and preschools, as well as structures which serve healthcare and social purposes, in municipalities and boroughs within the Noise Protection Zone around the airport as a part of its noise abatement technical measures.

In line with the legislative regulations in effect, the new pricelist was reviewed with airlines in advance and will be in effect from 25 March 2018 to 30 March 2019.