CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- Runway changes starting Sunday night at O’Hare will mean some people living below flight paths will get some noise relief and others will hear more planes.
Called the Interim Fly Quiet Plan, different runways will be used at night each week over the course of eight weeks, and then the cycle will repeat from November through February 2021 with one interruption for construction.
The rotation, which is subject of contested debates among nearby suburbs, Federal Aviation Administration scrutiny and logistical gymnastics by aviation planners, is only temporary, so residents within earshot of the airport do not need to worry for too long.
There will be juggling for continued runway contruction, which will be a lengthy process, officials said. Runway rotation will be at night only, with the overall aim to spread noise throughout nearby suburbs and neighborhoods so it's evenly distributed among the area.
The rotation plan was created by the O'Hare Noise Compatibility Commission and the Chicago Department of Aviation and approved December 2017, but it required FAA approval as the last step.
• The first half of the interim rotation will run from Sunday through May 17, 2020, then halt for pavement reconstruction on Runway 4-Right/22-Left.
• From May 17 to Sept. 13, 2020, night flights will revert to the original Fly Quiet plan, a voluntary program that limits the runways used by pilots from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m.
• The Plan will resume Sept. 13, 2020, and last through February 2021. At that point, construction of an extension to Runway 9-Right/27-Left will necessitate a return to the original Fly Quiet program.