(Photo by Al Macias-KJZZ)

An airplane taking off from Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport.

The Phoenix City Council met yesterday to discuss, among other things, noise stemming from the Federal Aviation Administration’s implementation of new arrival and departure procedures at Sky Harbor Airport. There’s still a long road ahead for the city and Valley residents desperately seeking relief from the noise.

When the FAA implemented its satellite-based navigation system Next Gen last September, the reaction from residents living in central Phoenix was almost instantaneous. They wanted the FAA to revert back to the original flight paths. The agency, however, made it clear in January that wasn’t going to happen. At Tuesday's council policy session, both residents and some city council members expressed their frustration.

"The City of Phoenix needs to come up with a clear vote, a clear direction that says that if the FAA does not accomplish X, Y and Z within this time frame, we will file a lawsuit on this date. That is what needs to happen in the City of Phoenix. No more of this dancing around stuff," said Councilman Sal DiCiccio.

The City has conducted community outreach meetings, noise monitoring and recently retained an outside law firm. The firm filed a 40-page protest on behalf of the City with the FAA.