Strategic Noise Maps & Noise Action Plans at Larnaka International Airport (Cyprus) according to the European Directive 2002/49/EC

Abstract

Environmental noise mapping, as per the relevant 2002/49/EC Directive 1, is an obligation of all member states of the European Union and arise from the harmonization with the above Directive. According to the above European Directive, and the relevant Cyprus legislation Law No. 224(?)/2004, Larnaka International Airport is included -marginally - in the category of "big airports" and consequently comes under the authority of the above mentioned legislation on the evaluation and management of environmental noise. In the framework of the present article a complete relevant Strategic Noise Maps & Action Noise Plans2 was executed and the relevant results are presented and evaluated including: 1. full calculation of the 2008, 2013 & 2018 Strategic Noise Maps (SNM) using the ECAC.CEAC Doc 29 methodology for both indicators Lden and Lnight in scales of 5 dB, 2. full Digital Terrain Model (DTM), of the immediate region under study including GIS layers with accurate land use/buildings data & aircraft mix/runways use data for all scenarios, 3. evaluation of results with emphasis to the Larnaka greater area land uses and % of inhabitants in residences exposed in various levels of noise, 4. full evaluation of Noise Action Plans (NAP) introducing (a) Noise Monitoring System: 3 permanent Noise Monitoring stations (NMTs), (b) New land uses for the future Larnaka Land Use Plan (c) Proposed Noise Insulation legal framework & Technical specifications and (d)Public Complaint Management System & Dissemination of information to all parties.