San Diego County Regional Airport Authority (Airport Authority) announces the winners of the 2021 Fly Quiet Awards, which recognize airlines for their efforts to reduce noise during arrivals and departures at San Diego International Airport (SAN).
Three airlines are being recognized for their efforts, Southwest Airlines in the large domestic carrier category, Spirit Airlines in the small domestic carrier category, and FedEx Express in the air cargo carrier category. Each of these airlines had no curfew violations and their increased utilization of quieter next-generation aircraft. The international carrier category was excluded due to COVID-related service suspensions.
“2021 was a challenging year for airlines, and despite those challenges Southwest Airlines, Spirit Airlines, and FedEx Express all managed to achieve no curfew violations while optimizing their fleet to operate quieter more efficient aircraft at SAN,” said Kimberly Becker, Airport Authority president & CEO. “I would like to thank each of these airlines for their commitment to our community and congratulate them on their Fly Quiet awards.”
The Airport Authority, in collaboration with the Airport Noise Advisory Committee (ANAC), introduced the Fly Quiet Program in 2017 to encourage airlines to work collaboratively with the airport and the community to operate as quietly as possible in the San Diego area.
Achieving the Fly Quiet Award recognizes that airlines have made an effort to balance their operational needs with those of the community. The Fly Quiet Program uses a scoring system based on specific, scientific metrics that measure how quietly they operate, such as the types of aircraft they use, how loud those aircraft are, and their adherence to SAN’s curfew which prohibits departures between 11:30 p.m. and 6:30 a.m.
