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image of Fly Quiet Program logo

On June 17, 1997, the City of Chicago announced​ that airlines operating at Chicago O'Hare International Airport (O'Hare) had agreed to use designated noise abatement flight procedures in accordance with the Fly Quiet Program. This program was implemented to reduce the impacts of aircraft noise on neighborhoods surrounding O'Hare. The Fly Quiet Program is a voluntary program that encourages pilots and air traffic controllers to use designated nighttime preferential runways and flight tracks developed by the Chicago Department of Aviation (CDA) in cooperation with the O'Hare Noise Compatibility Commission (ONCC)​, the airlines,​ and the air traffic controllers. These preferred routes are intended to direct aircraft over less-populated areas, such as forest preserves and highways, as well as commercial and industrial areas.


Fly Quiet Program ​Manual​
Fly Quiet Reports ​
Fact Sheet - Fly Quiet Program at Chicago O'Hare International Airport​
​Fact Sheet - Ground Run-Up Enclosure at ​Chicago O'Hare International Airport
Ground Run-Up Proced​ures Ma​nual​​
​Nighttime Construction Awareness Program 2008-202020​​

The CDA fact sheets are formatted for double-sided printing on the short​ edge of 11x17​ paper.​​

Fly Quiet Recognition Awards

​The Fly Quiet Recognition Awards were developed by the ONCC with the intention to reward airlines that comply with O’Hare’s voluntary Fly Quiet Program. Awards are given every year in three categories; air carrier, regional air carrier, and cargo carrier, to the top scoring airlines that had at least one average nightly operation. To learn more about the Fly Quiet Recognition Awards, please visit the ONCC website here​.​​

​Interim Fly Quiet Runway Rotation (IFQ)

​The CDA conducted a temporary Interim Fly Quiet Runway Rotation (IFQ) program, which was approved by the FAA. The IFQ was developed in collaboration with the ONCC and occurred during the overnight hours when demand requires one arrival and one
departure runway. The IFQ included an eight-week schedule that rotated the primary arrival and departure runways to balance the overnight noise. The program ran for 28 weeks between November 2019 and May 2020 and for 20 weeks between September 2020 and January 2021.

The FAA conducted an environmental analysis called the Written Re-Evaluation of the O'Hare Modernization Environmental Impact Statement for the Interim Fly Quiet Runway Rotation Plan. The CDA's submittal and the subsequent FAA approval can be found below.

Interim Fly Quiet CDA Submittal​
Interim Fly Quiet Schedule Summary (Weeks 1-28) (Weeks 29-48)
Interim Fly Quiet Schedule Detailed (Weeks 1-28) (Weeks 29-48)

Interim Fly Quiet Tracking

Week 1          Week 2          Week 3          ​Week 4​          ​Week 5​          ​Week 6​          ​Week 7​

Week 8​          ​Week 9​          Week 10​        Week 11​        ​Week 12​​       Week 13        Week 14

Week 15    ​    
Week 16      ​  Week 17​        Week 18        Week 19       Week 20        Week 21
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Week 22​​        Week 23​        Week 24​        Week 25​        Week 26​       Week 27​        Week 28​

Week 29​        Week 30​​        ​Week 31​​        ​Week 32        ​Week 33​       Week 34​        Week 35

Week 36​​        ​Week 37​​​        ​​Week 38​​​​        ​​​Week 39​        ​​Week 40​       ​Week 41​​        ​Week 42​

Week 43​        ​​Week 44​​​​        ​​​Week 45​​​​​        ​​​​Week 46        ​​​Week 47       Week 48​​
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Fly Quiet Runway Rotation Test​

Test 1​

The CDA submitted a Fly Quiet Runway Rotation Test (Test 1) to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for approval of a six-month period. The purpose of the test was to evaluate a condition that could be in ​place until Runway 15-33 is permanently closed. Test 1 occurred during the overnight hours when demand required one arrival and one departure runway. Test 1 included a 25-week schedule that consisted of 12 weekly periods intended to balance the overnight noise. Each new week began on Sunday evening at 10 p.m. or after when demand allowed for one arrival and one departure runway.

Test 2

The CDA submitted a second Fly Quiet Runway Rotation Test (Test 2) to the FAA for approval of a twelve-week test period. The purpose of the test was to:

1) Test the capabilities of the different configurations after responding to FAA concerns

2) Test new configurations that were not included in Test 1

Test 2 occurred during the overnight hours when demand required one arrival and one departure runway. Test 2 included a 12-week schedule that consisted of 12 weekly periods intended to balance the overnight noise. Each new week began on Sunday evening at 10 p.m. or after when demand allowed for one arrival and one departure runway.

Test 3

The CDA submitted a third Fly Quiet Runway Rotation Test (Test 3) to the FAA for approval of a twelve-week test period. The purpose of the test was to test a condition that could be in place during the period of time between Runway 15-33 decommissioning until Runway 9C-27C commissioning. Test 3 occurred during the overnight hours when demand required one arrival and one departure runway. Test 3 included a 12-week schedule that consisted of 12 weekly periods intended to balance the overnight noise. Each new week began on Sunday evening at 10 p.m. or after when demand allowed for one arrival and one departure runway.​​


CDA Submittals​

Test 1     Test 2     Test 3​​​
​Test 1 Appendices 

FAA Approvals

Test 1     Test 2     Test 3  

CDA Reports

Test 1     Test 2     Test 3​

FAA Comments

​ Test 1 ​​​ ​​​​​​​
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