Wyoming airport gets busier but quieter

Wyoming's Jackson Hole Airport has seen noise levels fall in recent years, despite steadily rising passenger numbers, officials have revealed.

Guidelines set by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) have helped the airport - located within Grand Teton National Park - keep aircraft engines quiet, according to its annual noise report. And progress at this airport is indicative of the diminishing impact of commercial flights on the environment, which is "good news for everybody", argues Ray Bishop, Director of Jackson Hole Airport.

"All of the noise at the airport is well below our established goal and the enplanements have gone up dramatically," he continued. "There are more people on quieter and less frequent airplanes."

FAA guidelines have encouraged the introduction of Stage III engines, which have succeeded in "lowering the noise footprint dramatically" and are representative of a "quiet revolution", Bishop continued.

Airlines that use Jackson Hole Airport are encouraged to approach from the south to avoid flying over nearby residences. There are also plans to plant more than 200 Colorado blue spruce trees to the west of the landing strip to help absorb aircraft noise.

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