The Federal Aviation Administration created new flight patterns as part of its NextGen program, but they’ve also appeared to create more noise pollution in the process. And it may be getting worse. The program’s goals are modernizing air traffic control and navigation, which helped reduce travel costs, put more planes in the sky and lower fuel costs and carbon emissions. But changes to GPS-based navigation systems have brought more noise. “Prior to having a GPS network … we relied on radar technology,” Pamela Whitley, deputy assistant administrator, NextGen, told SIGNAL magazine. “With radar sweeps, you get an update about every eight to 10 seconds, depending on the specific radar. For those eight or 10 seconds, you don’t know exactly where the airplane is.” More airplanes can now travel closer together on new flight paths. That means more direct flights, but also more noise pollution. Complaints in cities like Phoenix, Chicago and New York are causing the FAA to respond. The administration is looking into reevaluating flight patterns, and there are new engine designs coming in the near future that could reduce noise as well.