There’s something so calming about an airport where the loudspeakers are off and the only sounds are engines, footsteps, and the quiet din of voices. I wish more airports would adopt “quiet” polices.
Why I Love Quiet Airports (And Why Loud Ones Drive Me Nuts)
I remember the first time I experienced a major airport that was quiet. It was in 2008 in Oslo (OSL). That airport was so quiet you could hear a pin drop…it was jarring, but in a very good way.
To me, a quiet airport is the mark of civilized travel. No droning canned music. No constant gate announcements screaming above the hum. When the PA system falls silent and people actually speak in hushed tones, I breathe easier, even in terminals bustling with people.
San Francisco (SFO) is a perfect example of an airport that gets it right. One reason it is one of my favorite airports is because it is quiet…airport-wide announcements are forbidden.
Recently, I saw news that Southwest prevented Denver International Airport (DEN) from implementing a “quiet zone” initiative for travelers seeking a respite from announcements. The airport intended to limit non-essential gate announcements for quiet travelers, but Southwest was reportedly opposed. The outcome: even designated quiet zones can’t fully escape the barrage of airline calls, boarding cues, and general terminal chatter.
That news only reinforced what I already believe: airports that try to slash the noise stand out as oases. Compare that with major hubs where there is a constant barrage of “final call” announcements, repeated three times, over static music, echoing through every gate ring. It’s exhausting, and it chips away at the travel experience.
Airports like Portland (PDX), Helsinki (HEL), and many smaller regional airports get it right. The PA is used sparingly, primarily for essential calls. People speak softly even in gates. That kind of environment says: we respect your time, your space, and your sanity.
Meanwhile, big airports with nonstop announcements and muzak force travelers into constant switching between noise-canceling headphones or yelling into their phones, exacerbating the problem. It’s a stress additive that should be unnecessary in 2025.
CONCLUSION
I’ll always favor quieter airports: less invasive announcements, less canned audio, more mental breathing room. Airlines and airports should aim to reduce ambient noise, not add to it. After all, traveling is stressful enough without punishing your ears, too.
Do you prefer quiet airports or do frequent announcements and music not bother you?
There is, of course, a matter of personal opinion on how quiet airports should be. I personally have a simple three-step plan to make our airports quiet and peaceful again: 1) Ban children. 2) Ban ULCCs. 3) Ban women. I want my airports to be Carthusian monasteries.
The more desired behavior is imposed the more people figure ways to rebel.
My experience in SFO is that there are frequent announcements, and there’s some kind of backroom contest to find the person with the most unintelligible English to make the announcements
I agree with you, but I also adore the chime sounds in places like LHR and CDG. In fact, I kind of love the voice of the speaker at LHR.
I’ve been writing about the scourge of airport noise for years on my site…
https://askthepilot.com/airport-noise-scourge/