One and a half years into its lifespan, Horizon 2020 project ANIMA completes an assessment into the complex relationship between aviation noise and health, together with a set of recommendations. During a meeting held between 11 and 13 March 2019 hosted by the National Institute of Public Health (NIJZ, Slovenia) partners of the project from all over Europe discussed the reviews conducted and the proposed recommendations. The review on noise annoyance impacts carried out by the ANIMA project highlights the importance of addressing reported annoyance and sleep disturbance as critical outcomes, confirming WHO findings. In October 2018, the World Health Organisation published the WHO Environmental Noise Guidelines for the European Region, featuring significant recommendations and deeming noise as a health risk rather than a health nuisance. ANIMA researchers at Manchester Metropolitan University in collaboration with the Centre for Applied Psychology, Social and Environmental Research (ZEUS) in Germany, the National Institute of Public Health (NIJZ) of Slovenia and the Romanian Research Institute for Gas Turbines (COMOTI), reviewed and updated the studies at the core of these guidelines. As its main outcome, the ANIMA review supports the idea that there may be associations between aircraft noise exposure and ischaemic heart disease, annoyance, […]

At the end of February 2019, ANIMA project held a highly interdisciplinary technical workshop at Catania Airport. The focus was on noise reduction strategies, land use planning best practices and interdependencies between noise and emissions. The local organizer, Societa’ Aeroporto Catania, represented by Prof. Daniela Baglieri and Eng. Daniela Caico, enabled a thorough discussion between local scientists (University Kore of Enna), consultants (Softech Web) and authorities (Catania City Council). The discussion was facilitated by Transport Systems Catapult representative, Dr. Fabio Galatioto, and other ANIMA partners (Dr. Delia Dimitriu – Manchester Metropolitan University; Nico van Oosten and Luis Meliveo -ANOTEC; Ab Hoolhorst and Martijn Blom – Netherlands Aerospace Centre). The main outputs of this technical workshop are: a Memorandum of Understanding between Catania Airport and ANIMA project (through Manchester Metropolitan University) for collaboration and data provision to support aviation noise modelling and interdependencies provision of data for scenario modelling insights for the balanced approach best practices.