The Airports Authority has a long history of addressing aircraft noise concerns in the metropolitan Washington, D.C. region by working with residents, elected officials, the FAA, airlines and pilots to achieve the mutual goal of safe airport operations while limiting the number of residents exposed to aircraft overflights and associated noise.

The Airports Authority continues its ongoing effort to preserve land-use controls around Dulles International.  Airports Authority personnel conduct meetings and briefings with Loudoun and Fairfax County Supervisors, other elected offcials, community members and organizations such as the Dulles Area Association of Realtors to emphasize the need to maintain existing county regulated land-use protections known as the Loudoun County Airport Impact Overlay District.

The Loudoun County Airport Impact Overlay District was implemented by the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors in the early 1990s to prevent residential development in aircraft noise impacted areas close to Dulles International.

The Airports Authority remains committed to preserving the existing regulatory restrictions and opposes any residential development in close proximity to or on Dulles International Airport.  This position adhreres to FAA policy regarding land-use on or near fedrerally regulated airports.  Federal policy states that residential development located on or in close proximity to airports, specifcally near runways and flight paths, is deemed incompatible with airport use and should not be permitted to airport operators or local governments. 

The Airports Authority strongly supports the Loudoun County Airport Impact Overlay District, which prohibits residential construction within the 65 DNL Aircraft Noise Contour, and is committed to working with all county officials in the Dulles area to prevent residential development within federally defined non-compatible areas.