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March 15, 2000 8:50 AM, EST

WASHINGTON — European noise restrictions that vary by nation are slowing the growth of air cargo, according to a UPS executive.

“The most pressing environmental issue we face in aviation today is the issue of aircraft noise,” Tom Weidemeyer, president of UPS Airlines, said March 8 before the Federal Aviation Administration.

Weidemeyer criticized what he called a proliferation of “night-flight restrictions” in Europe caused by concerns about aircraft noise. While the United States has uniform noise standards, the European Union has a patchwork of prohibitions among its 15 member nations.

“Although a recent proposal by the Belgian transport minister to ban night flights altogether was pulled back, other restrictive proposals are on the table there,” he said.

For the full story, see the Mar. 13 print edition of Transport Topics. .