The health impacts of airports on local residents

DOI: https://doi.org/10.58248/RR100

Summary 

People who live near airports are exposed to air pollution and aircraft noise, which can affect their health. 

Air pollution from airports includes gases and particles released by aircraft engines, such as nitrogen oxides (NOx) fine particulate matter (PM2.5), and ultra-fine particles (UFP). These pollutants can travel tens of kilometres beyond airport boundaries. Evidence shows that these pollutants result in poorer air quality near airports, particularly downwind of taxiways and runways. Globally, 16,000 premature deaths per year can be attributed to civil aviation-related air pollution, with one third of these deaths occurring in people living within 20 km of airports. 

Aircraft noise can annoy local residents and disturb their sleep, and it has also been linked to higher risk of cardiovascular disease and poorer learning among children. These effects begin at relatively low noise levels; around 40 decibels to 45 decibels. If aircraft noise is mitigated it can reduce, but not eliminate, these effects. 

Does living near an airport have an impact on health and quality of life? 

Living near an airport can have positive and negative effects on health and quality of life. 

Airports provide employment opportunities both directly, and in airport-related businesses in the local community. Living near an airport provides access to transport infrastructure, which supports employment, leisure and social activities. 

The main adverse effects of living near an airport are poorer air quality and exposure to aircraft noise. Residents may also be exposed to air and noise pollution from railway and road traffic infrastructure associated with airports. 

How far does air pollution from airports travel?

The effects of aircraft-related emissions can be wide ranging, although they are more concentrated in areas nearer to the airport. For example, there is evidence that some UFP detected in central London are from aircraft engines tens of kilometres away at Heathrow airport.  

A 2019 literature review concluded that pollution close to airports was significantly higher than in locations distant and upwind of airports, with atmospheric conditions affecting how much pollution was detected. The review found that pollution near airports differed from road transport pollution, with more very small (‘ultra fine’) particles, which are associated with respiratory disease, diabetes and cancer. Figure 1 below shows that annual NOx emissions in South East England in 2024 were concentrated around central London and Heathrow airport. 

Figure 1: a map showing annual NOx emissions for South East England for 2024 (at 1 km x 1km resolution) from all pollution sources, estimated from 2023 data. The colours and key show annual NOx emissions in tonnes. key Elevated NOx emissions from airports are shown to extend beyond airport boundaries, such as the approach to Heathrow airport over central London. Labels added to show the locations of the runways Heathrow Airport (LHR), London Gatwick Airport (LGW), London Stansted Airport (STN), London Luton Airport (LTN) and London City Airport (LCY).  

Is there evidence that air pollution from airports affects the health of local residents? 

A 2015 analysis modelled civil aviation-related air pollution and the risk of early death from those pollutants. The study estimated that, globally, 16,000 premature deaths per year may be due to civil aviation-related air pollution. The analysis estimated that around one third of these people lived within 20 km of airport. It also found that deaths from civil aviation-related air pollution were higher in Asia than in Europe. 

How do airport delays affect air pollution and the health of local residents? 

Delays on the ground (which increase aircraft idling and time spent moving between parts of the airport, called ‘taxi time’) can increase air pollution, as engines running at low power may emit more pollution than engines running at full power. As these emissions occur close to the ground, they are more likely to spread to local neighbourhoods. 

A 2016 study of people living within 10 km of airports in California found that increases in taxi time due to airport delays were associated with higher levels of carbon monoxide (CO, a poisonous gas produced when fuels do not fully burn). The study found that on days when taxi time is high, more residents living within 10 km were hospitalised for respiratory and heart problems.  

How might air pollution from airports change in the future?   

The relative contribution of airports to emissions of NOx has increased over time as road vehicles have become cleaner (table 1), although aviation still produces less NOx overall than road traffic. Emissions from road vehicles are decreasing and are predicted to decrease further, while pollution from aviation is predicted to stay broadly the same. 

Table 1: UK Nitrogen oxides emissions from the transport sector, along with 2040 projections. Data from the National Atmospheric Emissions Inventory. 

The UK is aiming to gradually replace conventional aircraft fuel (such as kerosene) with sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), which has lower carbon emissions. However, SAF is not yet widely used and it is unclear from available evidence what effect it could have on air quality or human health compared with conventional fuel. 

For example, some types of SAF may produce less ultrafine particle and sulphur pollution but may produce more volatile organic compounds. 

Researchers have said that unlike with other vehicles, it is unlikely to be possible to use technology to mitigate air pollution from aircraft engines that burn hydrocarbon fuels, whether they are conventional fuels or SAF. For example, road vehicles such as cars have devices to ‘clean up’ exhaust gas as it exits the engine, but this is not possible on aircraft engines. 

Who is responsible for air quality near airports? 

Organisations including the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), Highways England and the Environment Agency are responsible for meeting national air quality targets. Local authorities are responsible for local air quality. 

Researchers have said that local authority frameworks for controlling air quality are outdated, as they focus on road transport and industry as the dominant emitters, which local planning decisions could influence. 

There are no limits placed on air pollutant emissions from individual airports. This contrasts with industrial sites, such as power stations, where emissions are capped and monitored by the Environment Agency. 

Organisations involved in aviation management, such as the Civil Aviation Authority and airport operators are not responsible for meeting national or local air quality standards. 

Emissions from aircraft are subject to international limits on NOx and PM emissions set by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). Airports can incentivise lower emissions by charging higher polluting aircraft more to use the airport facilities, but otherwise they have little control over emissions. 

Does airport noise affect health? 

There is strong evidence linking airport noise to negative public health, including:  

• annoyance (such as disturbance, irritation, and nuisance) 

• mental health (such as depression and anxiety) 

• sleep disturbance 

• cardiovascular diseases, including heart disease, stroke and heart attacks 

• metabolic conditions, including type 2 diabetes 

• premature mortality 

• children’s learning and behavioural problems 

Of these, annoyance and sleep disturbance are the most common. 

How loud is aircraft noise in areas local to airports? 

Noise is measured in decibels (dB) (figure 2). Studies into the noise impacts on health may measure noise during the day, noise during the night, or the number of aircraft noise events above a certain decibel level. 

Negative health impacts are observed at low noise exposure starting from 40 to 45 dB.  

Figure 2: a diagram from the UK Civil Aviation Authority to show sounds associated with different decibel (dB) levels. 

In communities near airports, aircraft noise exposure ranges from 35 dB to 70 dB in the day and 35 dB to 60 dB at night (figure 3).  

Figure 3: a map showing an area to the south of Manchester where Manchester Airport is located. The colours and key show noise in decibels for the daytime period (0700-2300). The darkest purple area of the map is where the busier of the two airport runways is located. 

In England, 4.5% of the population are exposed to aircraft noise levels above 50 dB (figure 4).  

Figure 4: Maps of England showing the burden of three diseases associated with aircraft noise, with a map of Greater London shown as an inset. The colours and key show the DALY rate. DALY refers to ‘disability adjusted life years’, a measure of disease burden. One DALY equates to one lost year of healthy life. DALYs relating to annoyance, sleep disturbance and heart disease are shown per 100,000 people. The greatest burden is observed in London.

Annoyance and airport noise

A 2014 UK Civil Aviation Authory study of 2,000 adults living near large airports in England found that annoyance increased with increasing aircraft noise. A 2018 World Health Organization (WHO) systematic review looked studies into annoyance from different sources of noise at different volumes (figure 5). The review found that annoyance had increased compared to earlier studies and concluded that noise guidance should be adjusted as a result.

Figure 5: a graph showing the results of a 2018 World Health Organization systematic review which collated data from studies into how noise from aircraft, roads and railways affects annoyance at different noise volumes. Highly annoyed [%] is measured using a scale of 1 to 100. In most studies, responses over 72/100 are classed as ‘highly annoyed’. Lden is a weighted measure of noise over a 24-hour period.

Sleep and aircraft noise

A 2022 metanalysis found that people exposed to high levels of aircraft noise experience sleep disturbance (figure 6), and that people do not ‘get used to’ this noise over time.  

Figure 6: graphs showing the results of surveys asking respondents about their probability of being highly sleep disturbed (%HSD) by different levels of nighttime noise (Lnight (dB)) from different noise sources (aircraft, road and rail). Dotted lines show 95% confidence intervals. 

Learning outcomes and airport noise 

Studies have shown that children attending schools exposed to airport noise have poorer learning outcomes than children attending quieter schools (for example, the European Environment Agency’s 2025 Environmental Noise in Europe Report and a 2021 meta-analysis). 

Stress from airport noise  

Noise can increase the levels of stress hormones and affect the nervous system, which can have short and long-term effects on health. 

Stress responses can be triggered by annoyance and sleep disturbance associated with airport noise. 

Can airport noise be reduced? 

Methods for reducing airport noise include using aircraft engines designed to be quieter, noise abatement (for example, accelerating aircraft only at higher altitudes to reduce noise near the ground) and curfews (so no aircraft fly overnight).  

Can health impacts from airport noise be reduced? 

Engagement with local communities  

Research has shown that when staff from airports engage with local communities about noise mitigation, it can reduce annoyance.  

Sound insulation for homes local to airports 

Sound insulation is costly to install, and is therefore usually limited to internal living spaces exposed to the highest levels of noise. Residential sound insulation can lessen but not eliminate aircraft noise. 

A pilot study evaluating a residential insulation scheme offered by Heathrow Airport found that annoyance and self-reported sleep disturbance were lower when insulation was used.  

Sleep aids for residents local to airports 

A study found that ear plugs mitigated nearly all the negative effects of low-level environmental noise (including noise from aircraft, helicopters, road, rail and drones) on sleep. However, ear plugs did not improve sleep when the noise was louder (greater than 65 dB, which is around as loud as airports usually get).  

Using devices that produce consistent background ‘pink noise’ to drown out other sounds did not mitigate aircraft noise and in fact they worsened sleep. 

Respite from noise from airports 

Short-term reductions in noise exposure at Heathrow Airport, for example by changing flight paths during the day, have been found to reduce the likelihood of being highly annoyed but only for respondents who experienced a considerable difference of around 9 dB in aircraft noise between the louder and quieter periods.  

What policies relate to airport noise and the health of local residents? 

The Noise Policy Statement for England 

The Noise Policy Statement for England aims to control noise to avoid impacts on health and quality of life using two metrics:  

• Lowest Observed Adverse Effect Level (LOAEL) – noise exposure where adverse effects of noise on health and quality of life are detected  

• Significant Observed Adverse Effect Level (SOAEL) – noise exposure above which significant effects on health and quality of life occur  

The policy states that LOAEL figures for aircraft are 51 dB during the day and 45 dB during the night. 

SOAEL figures differ depending on factors including the source of noise and the time of day.  

Transport Analysis Guidance  

Planning decisions, such as airport expansion plans, are informed by the Department for Transport’s Transport Analysis Guidance, which considers noise levels as part of a cost-benefit analysis. 

World Health Organization Environmental Noise Guidelines  

The World Health Organization 2018 Environmental Noise Guidelines “strongly recommend” reducing average noise levels produced by aircraft below 45 dB (and below 40 dB during the night) based on “strong” evidence of adverse health effects. 

Acknowledgements 

Charlotte Clark is Professor of Environmental Epidemiology at City St George’s, University of London. She is President of the International Commission on Biological Effects of Noise (ICBEN). She receives research and consultancy funding from the UK Department for Transport; the UK Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs; the UK National Institute for Health and Care Research; Heathrow Airport Limited; and the UK Civil Aviation Authority. 

Alastair Lewis is Professor of Atmospheric Chemistry at the University of York.  

Questions about this briefing should be referred to Jenny Chapman (post@parliament.uk), who acted as parliamentary lead for this work.