Aerospace Global News
Marisa Garcia
24 September 2025
Climate change could make airports noisier as planes climb slower in hotter air. A hotter planet will also bring more turbulence, and poses risks to airport infrastructure.
Airports may get noisier as the planet warms. A new study from the University of Reading finds that rising temperatures could increase the number of people exposed to aircraft noise around Europe’s busiest hubs.
The cause of the higher climate-related noise levels is a simple matter of physics. Warm air is less dense, which reduces lift. Aircraft departing in hotter conditions climb more slowly and stay closer to the ground for a more extended period, spreading noise across a wider area.
“Over the next three decades, thousands of extra people in London could be blighted by noise pollution caused by climate change,” says Dr Jonny Williams, lead author of the study. “The problem gets worse with different types of sound, too. Low-frequency noise, which travels further, will increase the most. These deeper sounds are particularly annoying to human ears and can cause stress and sleep problems.”
Climate change to make airports noisier, study warns - Aerospace Global News - 24 Sept 2025
