Aircraft noise south and east of LAX has grown, and some South Bay homes could gain or lose eligibility for federal sound insulation money under draft maps released Sept. 17.
Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA) published the draft Noise Exposure Map (NEM) update for public review, with a comment period open through Thursday, Nov. 5, according to LAWA's FAQ document. Two public workshops are scheduled for Wednesday, Oct. 21, and Thursday, Oct. 22. Residents can also review printed copies at the El Segundo Public Library and four other locations.
The maps matter because they determine which homes fall inside the 65-decibel noise contour, the federal threshold for sound insulation funding. Once the FAA formally accepts the updated maps, the 2031 forecast contour will replace the current boundary. LAWA said some properties may become newly eligible for insulation while others may no longer qualify.
What changed
The draft maps show the southern noise contour east of the airport expanded while the northern contour shrank, compared with the previous 2020 contour. The shift traces to a change in nighttime runway use. Nighttime arrivals on the south airfield runway pair (Runways 25L and 25R) rose from roughly 38% to 52%. Arrivals on the north pair (Runways 24L and 24R) dropped from about 35% to 31%.
That means residents in El Segundo, Hawthorne and communities south of the airport are absorbing a larger share of nighttime flights than when the previous contour was drawn.
Why LAWA is updating now
The update covers two time periods: current 2026 conditions and a 2031 forecast. LAWA said the update is needed to keep LAX eligible for federal sound insulation funding as flight operations recover from pre-COVID levels. The FAA's noise compatibility page lists the most recently accepted LAX noise map as dating to Feb. 12, 2016. LAWA's original project timeline, outlined in an October 2025 newsletter, had targeted early 2026 for submitting the final maps to the FAA. That deadline was not met.
LAWA spokesperson Charles Pannunzio said at an LAX Area Advisory Committee meeting in October 2025 that the project "is focused solely on updating the maps that depict aircraft noise exposure levels around the airport."
How to weigh in
The draft documents and project details are posted on LAWA's NEM Update project page. Written comments can be emailed to [email protected] before the Nov. 5 deadline.
Printed copies are available at the El Segundo Public Library, Loyola Village Branch Library, Morningside Park Branch Library, Mark Twain Branch Library, Lennox Library and the LAX Residential Sound Insulation Showroom.
The City of El Segundo's X account shared the announcement Sept. 18, directing residents to the LAWA project page.
The LAX/Community Noise Roundtable meets next on Wednesday, Nov. 18, at 1:30 p.m. via Microsoft Teams.
