El Al one of noisiest airlines, Heathrow finds

The stereotype of inconsiderate traveling Israelis extends to their national airline as well, it seems.

London’s Heathrow Airport examined 50 airlines that use its runways and ranked how noisy they are. In findings released Wednesday, El Al finished just above the bottom of the “Fly Quiet” list, at number 49 out of 50.

The companies were judged in six categories — noise efficiency, noise certification, descent approach, using “noise preferential routes” for departures, not landing before 4:30 a.m., and not landing before 6:00 a.m. — with 94% of the airlines meeting at least five of six of the requirements, BBC reported.

El Al scored poorly in the first three categories.

LOT Polish Airlines was the only carrier to finish worse.

British Airways’s local flights were ranked the quietest, followed by Virgin Atlantic’s domestic service and Ireland’s Aer Lingus.

Noisy landings are caused by a combination of old planes and improper landing methods. El Al uses 777-200 and 747-400 to London, which are at least 15 years old, Walla reported.

Heathrow rewards compliance by reducing fees for the quietest airlines.

Noise pollution from airplanes has been a concern for Britons recently. In August, the British Medical Journal published a study investigating the correlation of aircraft noise with strokes, heart disease, and cardiovascular disease.

“High levels of aircraft noise were associated with increased risks of stroke, coronary heart disease, and cardiovascular disease for both hospital admissions and mortality in areas near Heathrow airport in London,” the authors from Imperial College and King’s College London found.