Reagan National aircraft noise highlighted by DMV residents discussed by county officials

WASHINGTON (FOX 5 DC) - A meeting to solve the problem of aircraft noise from Reagan National Airport took place Monday night as residents of Maryland and Virginia have complained for years over the issue.

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People in Arlington and Montgomery Counties living near the Potomac north of the airport have waged a decades-long campaign to reduce the noise from airplanes flying in and out of DCA.

FOX 5 spoke to viewers in the Sangamore neighborhood of Bethesda who say depending on the day, the aircraft noise goes from morning to night and for them, it's a quality of life issue.

"It gets loud," one resident remarked. "I’ve been in people's yards of their houses and stuff, and it can be pretty intense and there’s a lot of it, it comes in waves." 

"Every morning at 5:30 or 5:50 I’m awakened by the airplanes and whenever I go on vacation it’s a relief to not be awakened by them," another resident said. 

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"There’s a lot, there’s a lot, there’s a lot of planes coming through," one resident said. "I’ve got friends in DC too on the flight path, and it’s a lot!" 

In May 2019, Arlington teamed up with Montgomery County to fund a study to identify, evaluate and come up with ways to reduce aircraft noise from DCA. They presented some of their findings Monday night.

Montgomery County's new council president says aircraft noise is a big headache on both sides of the Potomac.

"The Biden administration has expressed and demonstrated more willingness to work with local jurisdictions on a myriad of issues," says Gabe Albornoz. "I think if there is anyone in an administration who’s going listen to our concerns, it would likely be this one." 

A spokesperson for the Metropolitan Airports Authority, which runs DCA, says the flight paths are determined by the FAA, and they're trying to act as a go-between for the community and the FAA.

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FOX 5 also reached out to the Federal Aviation Administration but has not heard back.