In this  way, Fraport reduces the noise footprint in the vicinity of the airport.

A  process to reduce increase peace and quiet at night has been in place at  Fraport for operations in a  westerly direction since 2015. Alternating use of the runways ensures an extra  hour of peace and quiet in the areas concerned. One night, residents in one  area can sleep soundly from 10:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. CEST, and those in the  other area from 11:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. CEST – and vice versa the following  night. One night, residents in one area can sleep soundly from 10:00 p.m. to  5:00 a.m. CEST, and those in the other area from 11:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. CEST –  and vice versa the following night. As a result, our neighbors get an extra  hour of peace and quiet on top of the actual ban on night flights, which only  lasts from 11:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. CEST.

The monitoring report published by the Hessian Ministry of Economics, Energy, Transport and Housing (HMWEVW) in February 2016 confirms that the noise footprint has significantly decreased. The results were also presented to the Aircraft Noise Commission in March 2016.

Noise levels from operations in an easterly direction are further reduced by “dedicated runway operations, DROps early morning.”  

Further processes  reduce the noise footprint further.

After  the ban on night-time flights was  introduced for scheduled take-offs and landings between 11:00 p.m. and 5:00  a.m. CEST, “DROps early morning,”  started in June 2012, replaced the first DROps process. Since October 2015,  it has been applied in the departure area between 5:00 a.m. and 6:00 a.m. CEST  for operations in an easterly direction on odd calendar days.

Aircraft taking off in a northerly direction travel on the easterly  bypass route, which is also only used in DROps. Due  to the longer extended departure route, they travel over areas to the north of  the airport at much greater heights.  Consequently, in this flight stage, they are quieter than aircraft on the parallel runway system route in the  same direction.