Chopin Airport launches Quota Count System

Starting from the beginning of the 2013 Winter Season, Warsaw Chopin Airport will use the Quota Count system to facilitate flight coordination at night time. The number of aircraft movements will depend on the overall noise level.

All aircraft operating to/from Chopin Airport have been assigned a certain number of points in the range of 0.25 to 16 depending on the noise generated during take-off and landing (the better the aircraft’s noise performance, the lower the score).

As of the beginning of the winter season, e.g. 27 October, all Quota points for take-offs and landings will be summed up. Once the limit of 32 points is reached, all nighttime flights at the airport will be suspended.

“This means that planes with better noise performance will be favoured. The number of aircraft movements can be different every night, but the impact of aircraft noise will remain the same,” said Witold Piechota, manager of Chopin Airport’s Environmental Protection Division.

The Quota Count limit of points for one night has been set based on the assumptions used by the regional parliament of the Mazovia province for establishing the boundaries of Chopin Airport’s restricted use area. The limit is determined once a year, but it can change depending on the results of noise monitoring or to comply with new regulations.

Michał Marzec, director of Chopin Airport, said: “The Quota Count system is yet another tool we have introduced to improve the well-being of the residents of Warsaw. It will help achieve a compromise between the needs of passengers using our airport and those of the local community. It is important to maintain a balance between one’s right to enjoy their home peacefully and the right to run a business which significantly contributes to the development of the city and the entire region.”