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NOISE ABATEMENT April 2017 airportbusiness 25 lic meetings would shape the understanding of community attitudes. These voices are import- ant. However, it is becoming clearer that they only provide insight into the attitudes of a small percentage of the stakeholder world, and often provide a misleading insight at that. A BETTER APPROACH IS EMERGING With this new understanding of annoyance emerging, airports are beginning to rethink their approach to complaint handling. What was once a reluctant but mandatory activity is becoming key to providing insights into attitudes and concerns that can better target action plans to reduce annoyance. Debates about aviation facts are being replaced with a deep respect for the perceptions of each complainer and a thirst to understand what is driving their annoyance. Increasingly a perceived lack of fairness is emerging as a primary annoyance driver resulting from: • An actual or perceived change in air traffic management • Perceived breach of rules, particularly a perceived breach not actioned (penalized) according to perceptions of appropriate penalties • Unfulfilled expectations about peaceful enjoyment of property or promised improve- ments in the level of aircraft noise • A lack of understanding of air traffic manage- ment constraints, particularly driven by an assumption that there is a better alternative for sharing or moving the noise In this environment, engagement with com- plainants focusses on the five "W" questions: • Who – to identify individuals and communi- ties that hold particular concerns • Where – the location of the issue and where the complainant lives • What – the event that triggered the complaint • Why – the reason it annoyed the complainant with a focus on impact on the complainant rather than the objective character of the intrusion • What would the complainant like done about it? This should be presented in a form that encourages realistic ideas. These insights can then be used to identi- fy potential solutions and tangible actions to address annoyance through four key initiatives: • Optimizing flight operations within safe- ty and efficiency constraints to minimize annoyance • Engaging and educating to help minimize inaccurate perceptions • Engaging and educating to help set realistic expectations • Say 'no' when nothing can be done – to ensure that complainers do not have unre- alistic hopes that will never be met These insights can also drive a change in reporting of complaints and responses. The Cost-efficient building sol Buildings provide attractive and affordable structures for: • hangars • flight based operations • cargo facilities • aircraft maintenance With our value-engineered steel framed building systems, recycled material content and long-life "cool paint" choices, p curb operating costs. Find out more. This free brochure is available at www.VP.com/a ueScope Buildings North America, Inc. On budget, on schedule, on target... www.aviationpros.com/10325502