Determining characteristics of lands affected by noise pollution of airports

The main goal of this study is to characterize the lands affected by airport noise in terms of land cover/use characteristics and to make a comparison of airports regarding their effects on the vicinity. Within this context, four major international airports, located in Istanbul (Ataturk Airport), Ankara (Esenboga Airport), Izmir (Adnan Menderes Airport) and Antalya (Antalya Airport) with their runways in different geometrical characteristics were selected as corresponding study areas. The noise maps of these selected airports were prepared by using SoundPlan Software. Lands affected by noise pollution were then identified by overlaying noise maps and CORINE dataset in GIS environment. The effects of each airport on neighbouring lands were further evaluated by comparing the findings of overlay analyses. As a result of the study, Istanbul Ataturk Airport has been assigned as the most critical airport with its high effect on nearby settlements and industrial areas (37.10% and 32.21%, respectively). Ankara Esenboga and Antalya Airports were considered as critical airports with their high effect rather on natural life as these airports affect green lands with 81.63% and 79.12%, respectively. Izmir Adnan Menderes Airport was found as the best airport in current conditions with its moderate effect on different land use classes.