Understanding residents' needs

The ANIMA project has conducted focus groups and in-depth interviews around Cologne, Bonn, East Midlands and Paris Charles de Gaulle airports to understand the needs of residents affected by aircraft noise.

Areas of interest

One major area of interest was knowing what can help residents to accept the airport as a neighbour or what an ideal relationship with the airport looks like in general. On the one hand, the participants mentioned noise reduction. For example, at Cologne-Bonn Airport, this referred explicitly to night flights and replacing old, noisy aircraft.

The second category of answers related specifically to airports' information and communication. To be accepted as a neighbour, the airport should fulfil the following points – actively approach affected residents and take responsibility as a real neighbour would; the airport should be respectful, open to criticism and transparent. A neighbourly airport should be fair with residents and care, cooperate and communicate honestly.

When asked what kind of information was needed for residents, the answers were diverse. In areas where night flights are allowed, information on this was seen as important. For example, there was a desire for the airport to explain to residents about how night time restrictions are decided upon and how this relates to other airports. Furthermore, information on the wider effects of aviation as well as aircraft noise was requested, for example impacts on people and the environment, specifically relating to climate change. This information should be scientific and up to date.

In general, the participants also wanted to know general information on the functioning of the airport, such as flight route distribution, how measurements work, but also on changes in the summer months' schedule.

Another mentioned topic was related to transparent future plans. Which technical improvements are to be expected, what changes are planned and what the airport's general growth strategy is? This topic was related to predictability for the citizens.

Last but not least, residents wanted to know more information on noise protection and noise protection claims. Views on how information should be communicated included variety of communication tools that should be used at the same time – in addition to the usual methods such as radio, internet, post or flyers, new ways were also mentioned, for example, social media or an airport's own YouTube or radio channel. Importantly, direct face-to-face communication tools that enable two-way dialogues rather than one way communication were recognised as being highly important, for instance consultation events, airport open days, and dialogue forums.

Overall, participants emphasised that the information should be presented factually and comprehensively. The time interval for communication should depend on the subject area. Of course, communication should also take place when changes occur, but there should also be a continuous and regular exchange of information.

Conclusion and mind maps

This part of ANIMA highlighted the importance of ‘discovery’ in the process of designing, implementing, and managing a noise management measure. This can only effectively be done through qualitative research than can provide rich understandings of what noise-affected resident needs, wants, fears and desires. In this way, future interventions and the general communication structure of airports can be adapted to create an environment that can help to make airport activity be viewed as acceptable for residents, like a real neighbour.

While working with focus groups and conducting in-depth interviews, ANIMA Project researchers were also making mind maps of the assisting people on the matter of higher and lower aircraft noise exposure. A mind map is a diagram in which information is represented visually, usually with a central idea placed in the middle and associated ideas arranged around it. Please click on the images below to see the diagrams in high quality (PDF format).