Noise Complaints Lead FAA To Study Logan Airport Flight Paths

Airplane noise is riling some residents of Cambridge, Somerville, Watertown, Medford, Dorchester and Milton. Our producer, James Bologna, went out to visit Rob Elfer, an architect who lives under Logan Airport's flight path in Milton.

Elfer said, "Imagine [airplane noise] every minute for 18 hours a day. It sounds like if you're standing over a food processor going full blast and you're making yourself a smoothie. Imagine doing that every minute, turning that on and off."

In 2013, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Massachusetts Port Authority (Massport) started using new, more precise flight paths to Logan, crowding planes into tight air-lanes, resulting in more noise complaints from residents below.

Now, because of those the complaints and pressure from some lawmakers, the FAA and MIT will study how to fix the noise for residents.

John Hansman, professor of aeronautics and astronautics and director of the International Center for Air Transportation at MIT

Cindy Christiansen, associate professor of health law, policy and management at Boston University, member of Massport's Community Advisory Committee