Green ATM - The acoustic impact on the air traffic management

Aircraft noise remains one of the most significant environmental impacts associated with airport operations, particularly in densely populated regions where traffic growth interacts with urban development. This thesis investigates aircraft noise mitigation from a procedural and modeling perspective, focusing on the role of departure design in single-event noise exposure around airports. The first part of the work outlines the regulatory and methodological framework that governs the evaluation of aircraft noise, with particular attention to single-event metrics and cumulative indicators. The evolution of Performance-Based Navigation (PBN) procedures is discussed as a key enabling factor for operational noise optimization. A comparative review of research conducted at Boston Logan International Airport and Birmingham International Airport highlights how lateral trajectory modifications, vertical profile adjustments, and SID redesign can contribute to measurable reductions in community exposure while maintaining compliance with safety requirements. Building on this foundation, the core of the thesis presents a practical case study focused on selected Standard Instrument Departures from Runway 35R at Milano-Malpensa International Airport. The analysis was conducted using FPDAM for trajectory definition and EUROCONTROL IMPACT for noise contour generation, with population exposure estimated using QGIS and Copernicus GHSL data. A series of sensitivity analyses were performed on speed constraints, altitude parameters, and initial climb geometry. The results show that uniform speed limitation alone does not necessarily lead to effective mitigation, while isolated vertical re-profiling proved geometrically inconsistent when not accompanied by lateral adjustments. The most balanced improvement was obtained through a coherent realignment of the initial climb course combined with moderate altitude refinement, leading to a measurable reduction in the population exposed to SEL 75 dB. Validation against real flight data confirmed the relevance of procedural optimization compared to both published and observed operational performance.