FAA’s 2025 Routes Reduce Complaints in Lake Balboa, Encino, Van Nuys, and Sherman Oaks
In February 2025, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) implemented revised departure routes for jets leaving Van Nuys Airport. The changes were designed to reduce aircraft noise in hillside neighborhoods. According to airport officials, noise complaints have dropped by 66% — from about 160 per day to just over 50.
Residents in Lake Balboa, Encino, Van Nuys, and Sherman Oaks have seen the greatest reductions in jet noise since the change.
But Residents in Studio City and Toluca Lake Report New Noise
Some residents say the change simply moved the problem.
“What we are experiencing is a sudden increase in the number of departures now, which are cutting deep into the east Sherman Oaks, Studio City region and … up through Toluca Lake all the way around the east side of Burbank Airport,” said Roslyn Dahl, who lives in east Sherman Oaks, near Studio City.
New Procedures Take Time to Settle
Van Nuys Airport Manager Jacob Haik said it takes time for pilots and air traffic controllers to fully adjust to changes. “It typically takes 60 to 90 days for everybody to really get used to it, and we are only about 30 days in right now,” he said.
Haik added, “I think overall it’s good compliance, but everybody’s adjusting to the new procedure.”
He also noted that some noise complaints attributed to Van Nuys Airport may actually stem from nearby Burbank Airport. “About 20% of our complaints that we get for Van Nuys (Airport) are actually Burbank Airport related. And I’m not blaming Burbank. I’m sure they get complaints that maybe are probably ours,” he said. “We work together. We try to coordinate the best we can.”
Community Group Says Problem Was Avoidable
Studio City for Quiet Skies, a group focused on mitigating aircraft noise, said in a statement that the outcome was expected.
The revised flight paths have “effectively moved noise to Studio City, an area that is heavily burdened already by (Burbank Airport) aircraft,” the group said.
They pointed to a key turning point in the new route, known as DSSRT, and said that when concerns were raised in 2021, LAWA (Los Angeles World Airports) assured them the new procedure would not push noise into new areas.
“We stood down because we did not want to suppress the effort to reduce aviation noise,” the group said. LAWA “confirmed that they would have the FAA do a study and reverse the action if the new procedure moved (the) noise.”
Metroplex RNAV Was Meant to Modernize Routes
In 2017, the FAA launched Metroplex Area Navigation (RNAV) at Van Nuys Airport. RNAV allows planes to follow more direct, GPS-guided routes instead of relying on ground-based navigation.
While the change was intended to improve efficiency and reduce fuel use, the new flight paths sent more jets over hillside areas such as Studio City and Sherman Oaks. Monthly noise complaints reportedly jumped from about 15 to as many as 500.
Task Force Recommended Revised Departure Tracks
To address community concerns, the FAA and local stakeholders formed the Southern San Fernando Valley Airplane Noise Task Force, which included elected officials, airport staff, and FAA representatives.
After public meetings and technical analysis, the task force recommended shifting the departure paths back over the Valley floor — closer to pre-2017 routes. The FAA agreed and approved revised RNAV procedures, which went into effect in February 2025.
Officials Will Monitor for New Hotspots
Van Nuys Airport officials say they will continue tracking noise complaint data.
“If we start seeing a different hotspot or there’s an uptick somewhere else, then we will definitely relay that to the FAA so they can look at any further adjustments,” Haik said.
