Maryland U.S. Senator wants to make airplanes quieter

Maryland U.S. Senator Ben Cardin wants to make airplanes quieter.

Senator Cardin (D-MD) introduced legislation earlier this week, the Cleaner, Quieter Airplanes Act, that would make it a priority of the U.S. Government to boost research into electric aircraft technology.

Such an authority would transform America’s aviation industry to develop airplanes that produce less greenhouse gas pollution and less noise, according to proponents of the bill, keeping domestic aviation companies competitive with the international industry.

“Air travel is important to our way of life and it is a key sector of our economy. But as air traffic volumes increase, so has exposure to noise and air pollution that has an adverse impact on our communities and environment,” Sen. Cardin said. “This has been a problem in Maryland, and it cries out for a long-term solution. We need to harness American ingenuity and find a new way to support our thriving aviation industry while addressing these concerns.”

This legislation sets a goal for cleaner, quieter airplanes by 2030 (regional transport planes) and 2040 (single-aisle planes), and it authorizes NASA to accelerate its work developing and demonstrating the technologies to make this goal a reality.

Aviation currently accounts for approximately 3 percent of greenhouse gas emissions, but emissions from this sector are expected to triple by 2050.