The FAA is planning to modify helicopter routes in the District of Columbia and parts of Northern Virginia. The route modifications are based on data collected from a six-month pilot program launched by Helicopter Association International (HAI) and the Eastern Region Helicopter Council in partnership with PlaneNoise, an aviation noise consultancy.

The pilot program was initiated in response to recommendations from a 2021 report by the Government Accountability Office, which Rep. Don Beyer (D-Virginia) and other federal lawmakers representing the Washington metropolitan area had requested. The program collected flight-tracking data and correlated it with helicopter sound complaints, identifying opportunities for altitudinal and zone changes.

“Since I took office over eight years ago, helicopter noise has been a constant source of complaints from constituents across Northern Virginia. Here in the nation’s capital with military, medical, commercial, and other aviation, aircraft noise will always be with us—but there are things we can do to help reduce that impact,” said Beyer. “The actions we announced today with partners at the federal and local level and our friends at HAI include FAA changes to helicopter flight paths and regional jurisdiction funding to continue the valuable complaint tracking system, which helped inform those changes.” 

HAI board chairman Jeff Smith said, “This pilot program is a perfect case study for how government and industry can work together to address issues and deliver tangible results.”