Los Angeles City Attorney Mike Feuer issued a formal request to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on Oct. 18, demanding that, within the next 30 days, the organization enforce the airplane departure procedures implemented at the Hollywood Burbank Airport in 2017.

The original departure procedures called for a dispersed route, in which all airplanes leaving the Hollywood Burbank Airport were required to fly in a fan-like formation to distribute noise pollution over a greater area.

Feuer sends formal request for altered flight path

However, failing to enforce this policy, the FAA instead concentrated flight paths over Studio City and the San Fernando Valley, sparking outrage among citizens living in the affected areas, Feuer said.

Studio City for Quiet Skies, a grassroots organization founded in 2017 to mitigate noise pollution caused by aircrafts in the Los Angeles area, supported Feuer’s letter to the FAA. Co-founder of Studio City For Quiet Skies Suellen Wagner said that residents hope Feuer’s letter will force the FAA to reverse current flight paths, which have constantly disrupted the daily lives of residents living in both Studio City and the San Fernando Valley.

“[The current flight path] is horribly invasive, and there isn’t a single daily activity that isn’t accompanied by jet noise,” Wagner said. “If [the FAA] reverts to the old dispersed path, no one will be under a focused, single-file path. We’re very eager for change after almost three years of this, so we’re very hopeful. It would be a great thing for us, and we hope that the FAA will respond responsibly.”

Councilmembers and Studio City residents support Feuer

Los Angeles City Councilmember Paul Krekorian also addressed the importance of open communication between the FAA and local residents.

“My top priority is to ensure community members are being heard by the FAA, that they’re getting answers to their questions about the changes to the flight path and that we begin implementing changes to mitigate the impacts that are so adversely affecting the East San Fernando Valley,” Krekorian said in a press release.

Wagner said that if the FAA complies with Feuer’s request, the aviation organization could set a positive example for future cases related to air traffic and noise pollution in residential neighborhoods around the country.

“Everybody is thrilled that the city of Los Angeles has stepped up,” Wagner said. “If the city of Los Angeles is successful in getting the FAA to respond, that will be a big deal for people all over the nation because it could set a precedent for the FAA, where they are listening and responding to issues that they caused on the ground.”