Arlington, TX Noise Ordinances: Aircraft Noise (2026)

Arlington sits directly in the busy airspace between DFW International Airport to the north and Arlington Municipal Airport (GKY) on the city's south side, with additional traffic from Dallas Love Field and Grand Prairie Municipal. Federal law (the Airline Deregulation Act, the Federal Aviation Act, and the Airport Noise and Capacity Act of 1990) and longstanding FAA regulations give the federal government exclusive jurisdiction over navigable airspace, which means the City of Arlington cannot lawfully impose nighttime curfews, altitude minimums, or flight-path restrictions on commercial, general aviation, or helicopter traffic. Arlington Municipal Airport, which the city owns, has a voluntary noise abatement program with preferred traffic patterns, recommended quiet hours for practice (typically discouraging pattern work before 7 AM and after 10 PM), and prohibitions on intentionally aggressive maneuvers over residential areas, but the program is not enforceable against a pilot who chooses not to comply because FAA rules control. DFW-related noise complaints are routed to the DFW Airport Noise Office, which tracks specific flight tail numbers and coordinates with airlines on procedural adjustments. Helicopter operations servicing AT&T Stadium and Globe Life Field on game days, TV traffic reporters, and law enforcement flights are similarly federal. Arlington residents who want to document a pattern of low or late-night flights should report through the DFW Airport noise portal with date, time, and direction; city 311 will redirect aviation complaints to the appropriate federal or airport-authority channel.