The UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has released a brand-new report examining potential ways to both assess and manage noise from drones and electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft (eVTOL).
With drones and eVTOL aircraft typically expected to be quieter than their conventional counterparts, regulators are now seeking to understand how noise may be experienced by communities, as well as support their safe and sustainable integration into UK airspace.
Current estimates anticipate commercial drone operations to expand significantly over the next decade, with potential applications ranging from infrastructure inspection and emergency response to logistics and the transport of medical supplies. In the UK, the development of commercial eVTOL operations is becoming one of the fastest-evolving areas of aviation, with early applications expected to include airport transfers, regional connectivity, and emergency services support.
As a result of these services moving beyond trials and into more routine use, the CAA is now seeking to establish effective routes for noise management. Whilst increased commercial drone activity is expected to deliver societal and economic benefits through improved connectivity, more efficient services and reduced reliance on noisier or more carbon-intensive forms of transport, its introduction will also depend on how impacts on communities are understood and managed.
The Civil Aviation Publication: Managing Noise from Emerging Aviation Technology (CAP3304) has found that, overall, drones and eVTOL aircraft may create different patterns of noise exposure from conventional aviation as these technologies become more widely used. Whilst they are typically quieter than conventional helicopters, the report has found that both of these technologies may operate differently, including at lower altitudes, closer to homes and across areas not traditionally affected by aircraft noise.
These factors, such as noise characteristics, frequency of operation and visibility, may influence community experience. The report considers how established aviation noise-management principles could be adapted for these new operations, and identifies priorities including quieter aircraft design, proportionate noise assessment, appropriate route and operating procedures, transparent community engagement, accessible complaints arrangements and the systematic collection of operational and noise data.
Ed Weston, Head of Environmental Research and Consultancy at the UK Civil Aviation Authority, said:Taking the opportunity to improve our understanding and develop good practice while the sector is still emerging and expanding is vital.
A clear and proportionate approach to noise can protect communities, give operators greater certainty and support the responsible scaling of these new technologies and services that can deliver genuine public and economic benefits.
The report has been developed to support the Department for Transport’s work on a national noise policy for drones, and recommends that any initial policy should provide a wide framework covering trials, early deployments and emerging commercial services that is proportionate, consistent, and able to evolve as operational experience and evidence improve.
