Quieter than ever before

It might come as a surprise, but it’s absolutely true: Airplanes built today are one of the quietest forms of transportation.

Modern airplanes are much quieter than their older counterparts. Consider this: Today, there are 13,670 large commercial airplanes — three and one-half times as many as the approximately 3,800 that flew in 1970. But according to the Federal Aviation Administration, the number of people worldwide disturbed by airplane noise has dropped from 19 million in 1970 to 800,000 today. That’s a remarkable 95 percent reduction.

Today, if you stood two miles from the end of a runway during takeoff of a Next-Generation 737, the noise would register about 70 dBA (decibels adjusted for the human ear). That’s about as loud as your vacuum cleaner.

Furthermore, the noise created by that 737 is significantly less than the 85 dBA created by a diesel train 61 meters (200 feet) away. What’s more, the noise of a high-speed train affects people all along its route, from departure to destination. In contrast, airplane noise is more contained and in many cases is limited to the perimeter of an airport.

We’re always working on ways to minimize airplane noise. The majority of an airplane’s noise is generated by its engines, and advancements in technology have had a significant impact on dampening engine noise. The noise of the 747-400 built today affects an area 47 percent smaller than the noise of a 747-100 manufactured in 1969. And when you compare the 747-200 to the newer 777-200, the area affected by noise is 78 percent smaller. The dramatic noise reduction is due to a combination of improved engine and airframe designs.

We’re working on other ways to minimize noise, too. Advanced-technology winglets — upright tips attached to the end of an airplane wing that reduce aerodynamic drag — reduce the area affected by noise by 6.5 percent. Winglets, available for our Next-Generation 737s, are being evaluated for noise reduction on other Boeing models, too.

All our airplanes meet the current international noise standards — with substantial margins. Both the Boeing 737 and the Airbus A320 family, with comparable noise performance, meet these standards. The Boeing 717, with just over 100 seats, is quieter than the Fokker 100 and the British Aerospace Systems RJ 100, both 90 to 100 seaters.