Munich Airport

Integrated Report 2025

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Noise protection: minimizing exposure as much as possible

Technological measures
Operational measures
Financial measures

The key rules for air traffic are defined at the international level. Under the umbrella of the United Nations, ICAO addresses the reduction of aircraft noise. Independently of this, our central concern is to keep the impact of aircraft noise on local residents as low as possible. This is achieved, among other things, through technological, ope­rational, and financial measures.

Aircraft Noise and Aircraft Noise Abatement

Technological measures Summary

Aircraft noise monitoring: stationary and mobile

The basis for all measures is comprehensive and modern monitoring: At 16 stationary noise measurement stations, we continuously mo­ni­tor aircraft noise in the airport region. The measured noise levels can be accessed online in real time, as can all results for individual months and years in statistical form. In 2025, noise levels remained at the previous year’s level despite continued growth in flight operations.

Locations of fixed noise monitoring stations operated by Flughafen München GmbH

Map of the locations of the fixed noise monitoring stations around Munich Airport. At 16 fixed stations in the airport region, Munich Airport continuously monitors aircraft noise. The map also shows the take-off and landing directions of air traffic. In 2025, noise levels remained at the previous year’s level despite continued growth in air traffic.
Map of the locations of the fixed noise monitoring stations around Munich Airport. At 16 fixed stations in the airport region, Munich Airport continuously monitors aircraft noise. The map also shows the take-off and landing directions of air traffic. In 2025, noise levels remained at the previous year’s level despite continued growth in air traffic.

In addition, we operate mobile noise measurement stations in order to measure aircraft noise in municipalities without stationary mea­sure­ment stations upon request. In the fiscal year, we conducted such measurements in the municipalities of Röhrmoos, Haimhausen, and Kumhausen.

Measurement results in real time
Active Against Aircraft Noise

Less noise in the surrounding area through modern aircraft

At Munich Airport, more and more aircraft with lower noise levels are being deployed. The Airbus A350 is considered the most environ­men­tally friendly long-haul aircraft in the world. Compared to its predecessor, the A340, it produces significantly lower noise levels: up to 7 dB(A) less during takeoff and up to 3 dB(A) less during lan­ding. This directly results in lower aircraft noise exposure in the sur­rounding area of the airport. Lufthansa now operates 25 of these fuel-efficient and low-emission long-haul aircraft at Munich Airport.

Technological progress in aviation has had a significant impact: Aircraft noise at Munich Airport has become increasingly decoupled from the growth in flight operations over recent decades. The number of maximum noise levels above 80.5 dB(A) has declined over the decades. The number of maximum noise levels above 90.5 dB(A) has decreased particularly significantly. While in the 1990s up to around 500 of these high levels were still measured annually, annual figures are now in the low double-digit or even single-digit range. Over the same period, the number of flight movements at Munich Airport has doubled, and passenger numbers have nearly quadrupled.

Development of noise levels

Combination chart of the development of aircraft noise and traffic at Munich Airport, 1993 to 2025. The bars (left axis) show the number of maximum noise levels above 90.5 dB(A) per year at the fixed monitoring stations; two lines (right axis) show aircraft movements (in 10,000) and passengers (in millions). The number of loud maximum noise levels fell sharply: up to around 500 were still measured annually in the 1990s, whereas recent annual values are in the low double-digit or even single-digit range. Aircraft movements and passenger numbers rose substantially over the same period (passengers to around 48 million in 2019), dropped sharply in 2020 due to the pandemic, and largely recovered by 2025. So the loud noise events declined even though air traffic overall grew.
Combination chart of the development of aircraft noise and traffic at Munich Airport, 1993 to 2025. The bars (left axis) show the number of maximum noise levels above 90.5 dB(A) per year at the fixed monitoring stations; two lines (right axis) show aircraft movements (in 10,000) and passengers (in millions). The number of loud maximum noise levels fell sharply: up to around 500 were still measured annually in the 1990s, whereas recent annual values are in the low double-digit or even single-digit range. Aircraft movements and passenger numbers rose substantially over the same period (passengers to around 48 million in 2019), dropped sharply in 2020 due to the pandemic, and largely recovered by 2025. So the loud noise events declined even though air traffic overall grew.

Operational measures Summary

Noise-based base charges: the quieter, the lower the fees

To ensure that airlines benefit from using quieter aircraft, they pay lower charges for these than for louder aircraft. There are 13 dif­fe­rent noise categories used for calculation. The basis is the noise values measured at the airport. It is also more expensive to fly at night than during the day: Depending on the time of day, surcharges apply to the noise-based base charge. In 2025, more than half of all aircraft movements at Munich Airport already met the strictest requirements of so-called «Section 14» in accordance with ICAO noise certification.

Aircraft type mix at Munich Airport

Stacked column chart of the aircraft type mix at Munich Airport by ICAO noise category, shares in percent, 2015 to 2025. Four categories from the strictest, Chapter 14, through Chapter 4 and Chapter 3 to the rest. Shares Chapter 14 / Chapter 4 per year: 2015 22% / 75%; 2016 26% / 71%; 2017 30% / 68%; 2018 33% / 65%; 2019 33% / 65%; 2020 36% / 60%; 2021 42% / 54%; 2022 44% / 53%; 2023 50% / 48%; 2024 50% / 48%; 2025 55% / 43%. Chapter 3 and the rest together account for only a few percent. The share of the quietest category, Chapter 14, thus rose steadily, and in 2025 more than half of all flight operations already met the strictest requirements of “Chapter 14” under ICAO noise certification.
Stacked column chart of the aircraft type mix at Munich Airport by ICAO noise category, shares in percent, 2015 to 2025. Four categories from the strictest, Chapter 14, through Chapter 4 and Chapter 3 to the rest. Shares Chapter 14 / Chapter 4 per year: 2015 22% / 75%; 2016 26% / 71%; 2017 30% / 68%; 2018 33% / 65%; 2019 33% / 65%; 2020 36% / 60%; 2021 42% / 54%; 2022 44% / 53%; 2023 50% / 48%; 2024 50% / 48%; 2025 55% / 43%. Chapter 3 and the rest together account for only a few percent. The share of the quietest category, Chapter 14, thus rose steadily, and in 2025 more than half of all flight operations already met the strictest requirements of “Chapter 14” under ICAO noise certification.

Night flight regulation

The night flight regulation significantly restricts flight operations at night. For example, the regulation provides for a noise quota that takes into account the number of movements as well as the re­spec­tive type and size of aircraft. In 2025, the noise quota at Munich Airport was utilized to 53 percent. The average continuous sound level at the boundary of the protected area was below the permitted value of 50 dB(A).

Night flight regulation

Noise action plan for Munich Airport

The Government of Upper Bavaria, with the participation of the public and the affected municipalities, published a noise action plan for Mu­nich Airport as early as the end of 2021. This presents numerous measures already implemented to reduce aircraft noise in the sur­rounding area of the airport. With the noise action plan, the Govern­ment is implementing the EU directive on the assessment and ma­na­gement of environmental noise for Munich Airport. In 2023, the Government of Upper Bavaria reviewed the noise action plan and concluded that no update was currently necessary.

Noise Action Plan

Financial measures Summary

Passive noise protection: FMG service

Since 1992, FMG has invested a total of EUR 62 million in noise pro­tec­tion measures and installed around 21,000 soundproof windows and around 20,000 ventilation units in buildings in the surrounding area. As part of the «Gießharzscheiben» (cast resin panes) service program, defective soundproof glass in such windows that we had financed under earlier noise protection programs was replaced on a voluntary basis in more than 150 cases. This service program ended at the end of 2025.

The Bavarian State Ministry of Housing, Building and Transport has initiated the procedure for designating the noise protection area for Munich Airport in accordance with the Act on Protection Against Air­craft Noise. At the request of the Ministry, FMG has submitted data on the type and scope of the expected flight operations for the fore­cast year 2033. As a result, the noise protection area will be defined in a public procedure, and it will be examined whether changes in noise protection or new affected areas arise.

Community engagement

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