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The San Diego County Regional Airport Authority (Airport Authority) has announced the winners of the 2023 Fly Quiet Awards, which recognize airlines for their efforts to reduce noise during arrivals and departures at San Diego International Airport (SAN).
In the large domestic carrier category, Southwest Airlines received the highest Fly Quiet Score for its continued use of the Boeing 737 MAX, a newer and quieter aircraft. Meanwhile, Spirit Airlines won in the small domestic carrier category for flying over 50% of its overall flights with newer and quieter aircraft.
For the air cargo carrier category, DHL, operated by iAero, won for its use of the quieter Boeing 737-800, no noise curfew violations, and the lowest noise exceedance score among air cargo carriers. In the international carrier category, Lufthansa achieved the best overall score in all categories for utilizing the newer and quieter Airbus 350-900 and having never had a curfew violation while operating at SAN.
“The Airport Authority is proud to collaborate with the Airport Noise Advisory Committee on the Fly Quiet Program, which we introduced in 2017 to encourage airlines to work together with the airport and the community to operate as quietly as possible in the San Diego area,” said Kim Becker, Airport Authority President and CEO.
The Fly Quiet Award recognizes airlines that balance their operational needs with the needs of the community. The Fly Quiet Program uses a scoring system based on specific, scientific metrics that measure how quietly airlines operate, such as the types of aircraft they use, how loud those aircraft are and their adherence to SAN’s curfew prohibiting departures between 11:30 p.m. and 6:30 a.m.
For more information on SAN’s Fly Quiet Program and to learn about other ways SAN is working with airlines and the community to reduce noise, please visit san.org/airport-noise. The program aims to reduce noise pollution in the San Diego area and ensure a quieter, more comfortable environment for everyone.