A Framework for Integrated Noise and Annoyance Modelling of Advanced Air Mobility Operations

Noise remains a key barrier to the widespread deployment of Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) aircraft. Compared to conventional rotorcraft, AAM vehicles exhibit configuration-dependent noise characteristics, including complex tonal and broadband components, strong directivity effects, and unconventional operational procedures. Existing noise modelling and assessment tools might not be well suited to these features, limiting accurate evaluation and mitigation of AAM noise impacts. This paper presents ongoing work at the Salford Acoustics Innovation Institute toward a comprehensive modelling and assessment framework for AAM noise. The framework consists of three components: (1) Source definition, integrating experimental measurements and multi-fidelity aeroacoustic predictions into a parametric model for representative AAM configurations; (2) Sound propagation, incorporating diffraction, reflection, and atmospheric effects within complex urban geometries using analytical methods; and (3) Impact assessment, combining physical noise metrics with perceptual models to estimate human response. Key innovations include a physics-informed model for AAM source noise definition and the development of simplified sound quality metrics that can be directly coupled with aeroacoustic predictions. These metrics provide a perceptually relevant description of noise, enabling integration with psychoacoustic-based annoyance models and improving the connection between engineering prediction and community response. The applicability of the framework is demonstrated through representative case studies of AAM operations in urban environments.