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Addison residents voiced frustration Monday night over aircraft noise, questioning whether the town is doing enough to protect nearby neighborhoods as officials presented the latest update to the Addison Airport Master Plan.
Airport Director Jaime Edrosa told attendees the master plan is intended to guide airport facilities over the next 20 years, not expand commercial air service or change the airspace controlled by the Federal Aviation Administration.
"The airport master plan is related to the facilities on the ground," Edrosa said. "That is what we own. That is what we manage. That is what we have authority over, not the sky."
The master plan, a continuation of the airport's 2013 strategic plan, does not include any changes to airspace, arrival or departure routes, since that authority belongs solely to the Federal Aviation Administration, Edrosa said. It also does not include a comprehensive noise study, known in FAA parlance as a Part 150 or Part 161 study, air pollution analysis, or any move toward Part 139 certification, the designation held by Dallas Love Field and Dallas Fort Worth International Airport that allows commercial airline service. Edrosa said the town has no plans to pursue that certification and that Addison Airport's runways, taxiways and ramps could not accommodate larger commercial aircraft even if it wanted to.
Operations at the airport currently sit around 130,000 a year, roughly 70,000 below the historic peak of about 200,000, according to the forecast presented Monday. Edrosa said that despite projections showing potential growth toward historic levels, actual operations have declined through the second quarter of the current fiscal year compared with the year before.
Among the plan's recommendations is a 1,000-foot runway extension on the airport's north end, intended solely for departures to the south, according to Edrosa. He said the extension responds to requests from operators who want more fuel capacity for longer flights, not a push to accommodate larger aircraft, and that the plan caps future aircraft at Aircraft Design Group 3, roughly the size of a Boeing 737, with no restriction on military aircraft, since the airport is a public-use facility and the town has no authority to bar them.
Edrosa said the longer runway could have a secondary noise benefit, because aircraft departing to the south could reach altitude and turn east sooner, avoiding the airport's noise-sensitive area.
The plan also recommends relocating the airport's two engine run-up areas, currently at the north and south ends of Taxiway Alpha, to the west side of the airport, off Midway Road, away from residential areas. City Manager David Gaines called that recommendation a priority.
The presentation focused heavily on noise mitigation, an issue that dominated the public discussion.
Edrosa emphasized that the master plan does not include recommendations for changing flight paths, conducting a comprehensive FAA Part 150 or Part 161 noise study, or pursuing commercial airline certification. Those issues fall outside the airport's authority or require separate federal processes.
Residents repeatedly challenged officials over what they described as worsening noise, particularly from corporate jets.
Trish Stuart said voluntary measures are no longer enough.
"No one wants to live in a place where they're not protected from noise pollution," Stuart said. "It's not acceptable and it's not going to get any better."
Another resident argued the airport should address neighborhood impacts before considering facility improvements.
"The noise needs to come first," the resident said.
Project Steering Committee member Elizabeth Jones questioned whether the planning process adequately considered the economic effects of aircraft noise on nearby homes, air quality and public spaces. She also said committee members have not voted on the plan's recommendations and often receive information too late for meaningful review.
Edrosa acknowledged that a comprehensive noise study was discussed before work began on the master plan but said he could not explain why it was not pursued before his arrival in October 2025. He said the town is exploring whether a future FAA Part 150 or Part 161 study could eventually support mandatory noise-abatement procedures, though those studies are expensive and federal approval is difficult to obtain. A Part 150 study was estimated in 2021 to cost about $600,000, he said.
Officials also highlighted the airport's expanded voluntary noise program.
According to the presentation, the airport implemented its Good Neighbor Initiative in October 2024 and has received 103 noise concerns. Each report is reviewed using aircraft tracking data that includes the aircraft type, location, altitude, speed and time of flight before airport staff contacts both the aircraft operator and the resident. Residents are also encouraged to submit complaints directly to the FAA because federal officials want to hear from affected residents, Edrosa said.
The airport has also begun providing weekly reports to flight schools, updating pilot guidance through FAA publications, expanding online reporting tools and continuing outreach to airport tenants and pilots about voluntary noise-abatement procedures.
Gaines said the town has limited authority over aircraft operations but continues to work directly with operators, track compliance and publicly recognize operators who follow voluntary procedures. He described personally meeting with the operator of an aircraft residents have identified as a repeated noise source and securing a commitment to request a longer, higher departure path on future flights, a change he said the public will be able to verify through flight-tracking apps.
"We have made a concerted effort to do everything we can to try to address this issue under the constraints we have," Gaines said.
Gaines said moving the engine run-up areas away from nearby homes is one of the most tangible improvements proposed in the master plan and could significantly reduce ground noise once completed.
The master plan process continued Tuesday, July 14, with a meeting of the Project Steering Committee followed by a City Council briefing. Draft noise contours, recommended alternatives and additional implementation details are expected to be released as the plan moves toward completion, tentatively scheduled for September.
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