More flight noise possible near Reagan National Airport

ARLINGTON, Va. -- A proposal to add an additional 20 flights at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport would increase the noise level in neighborhoods surrounding the airport.

The additional flights -- many of which would be long-haul flights -- are part of an amendment to a Federal Aviation Administration bill before Congress.

"When you're flying longer distances, you're flying bigger planes that are going to make more noise," says Sen. Jim Webb, D-Va., who is trying to stop the additional flights.

Webb says more flights could mean overcrowded parking lots and more irritation for neighborhoods in Alexandria and Arlington.

He says special interest groups, not passenger demand, are pushing the amendment, which runs counter to agreements made more than a decade ago to limit the noise around the airport.

Webb says the issue is not just about airport noise. He says expanding flights at Reagan also could have a negative impact at Dulles International Airport where a massive expansion project is underway.

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