Airport Noise Programs

The conversation goes better before the complaints start. Neighbors who understand what’s flying overhead, and why, are more likely to see the airport as a reliable resource than an adversary. At San Bernardino International Airport, firefighting aircraft, sheriff helicopters, air cargo, and general aviation all share the skies, and the SBD Good Neighbor Program was built to explain those operations and, just as importantly, to hear back from the people who live and work nearby.

We’ve launched noise programs from scratch and rebuilt existing ones. For San Bernardino International Airport, we created the Good Neighbor Program’s brand, outreach strategy, website, presentation templates and key messages, and it won ACI-NA’s Best Overall Public Relations Program award for small airports. We still support it today. For the County of San Mateo Airports, we revamped an existing noise program into Friendly Approach, serving Half Moon Bay and San Carlos airports.

It’s built around your community, but it usually starts with a recognizable program brand and a dedicated website, then adds the channels residents use: newsletters, social media, email alerts, presentations and media outreach. Friendly Approach pairs a quarterly newsletter with email alerts about time-sensitive aviation activity. Behind the public side sit feedback tools, like a dedicated phone line and an online form, plus regular reporting that shows residents their input was heard.

By making them easy to submit and useful once they arrive. We set up dedicated phone lines and online feedback forms so residents know exactly where to go. Then we support logging, analyzing, and mapping that feedback, so your team can spot trends by neighborhood or time of day instead of reading complaints one at a time. Regular reporting closes the loop. At SBD, that includes quarterly reports to the Airport Authority Board.

Yes. Pilots shape the noise picture as much as anyone, and they need the tools to be good neighbors too. Friendly Approach gives pilots at Half Moon Bay and San Carlos airports easy-to-find resources, including preferred flight procedures, FAQs, and informational videos. The program’s messaging also reminds both audiences why the airports matter: they create jobs, help move goods and materials, and support emergency services. Education on both sides of the fence makes for a more productive conversation.

Yes. Our public relations director’s airport career includes roles at some of California’s most noise-constrained airports, where she helped create and develop community noise forums so the airport is seen as a good neighbor. That work covered messaging about responsible airport growth, communications promoting FAA and airport investment in soundproofing homes and schools, and educating pilots about the airport’s recommended fly quiet procedures.