Aviation Noise Exposure Reference Tool

Aircraft are certified for noise as rigorously as for performance, and the rules use a specific metric — EPNdB — and a tiered classification system. This reference looks up the certified EPNdB noise levels and the ICAO Chapter / FAA Stage category for common aircraft types, and explains the three measurement points that sit behind every certified figure.

The EPNdB metric

Effective Perceived Noise in decibels is not a simple sound-pressure reading. It weights the raw sound level for:

• Frequency content — accounts for human hearing sensitivity across frequencies.
• Tonal correction — adds a penalty for tonal components (whines and screams) that are more annoying than broadband noise at the same SPL.
• Duration — integrates noise over time, because a brief peak is less annoying than a sustained roar.

The result is a number that correlates well with human annoyance, which is why aviation regulators chose it over simpler metrics.

Three measurement points

Every type certificate includes measurements at three distinct positions on a standard departure and approach profile:

lateral / sideline → beside the runway, at the point of maximum noise during takeoff roll and initial climb
flyover            → under the departure path, after the aircraft has climbed and reduced thrust
approach           → under the glideslope, on final approach before landing
cumulative margin  = sum of (limit − measured) across all three points

Each measurement point has its own weight-dependent EPNdB limit from ICAO Annex 16 or FAR Part 36. An aircraft must pass all three independently.

Classification: ICAO Chapter vs FAA Stage

The two systems are parallel and describe the same generational standard:

Chapter 14 / Stage 5 requires a cumulative margin of at least 17 EPNdB below Chapter 3 limits (10 EPNdB for older applications). A modern narrowbody such as the A320neo typically achieves flyover noise in the mid-80s EPNdB, substantially quieter than an older widebody quad from the Chapter 3 era, whose flyover could exceed 100 EPNdB.

How the cumulative margin is used

Many noise regulations and airport access rules specify a minimum cumulative margin rather than absolute levels, because margins adjust automatically for aircraft size (since limits scale with weight). A large freighter with a 95 EPNdB flyover may have a larger cumulative margin than a small regional jet at 82 EPNdB if the freighter’s limit is correspondingly higher.

Accuracy note

The reference values here are representative for typical examples of each type; real ICAO Annex 16 limits scale with maximum takeoff weight and differ by variant. For certification, airport access rights, noise charges, or planning impact work, always use the official type-certificate data sheet for the specific aircraft and variant. All lookups run locally in your browser.