Work has been on respite from noise around Heathrow - some of this would apply to Newcastle Airport.
See the final paragraph in bold - it's not just about measurements
"The (Heathrow) Respite Working Group’s second question was about how alternating between two routes can be used to provide the most effective respite to the community. This relates to both the time of day and how long two different routes are used. Discussions were held in the community with small groups, during which some recorded aircraft sounds were also played. Participants were asked again about how they valued any differences in sound levels and also about aircraft noise at different times of the day.
The majority of participants preferred quieter periods at either end of the day, both at weekdays and weekends. The most popular route options were for one route for a set period of time, then switching to another. The least popular was to alternate aircraft on each route, one after the other. These generalised findings - which are based on laboratory type tests - must not be taken out of context though, and for more detailed explanation of the outcomes, please refer to the full written reports.
But it is also recognised that providing effective respite is not just about what we hear – the acoustics - but also about what we see, feel and believe – often referred to as non-acoustic factors and these could be at least as important in the appreciation of respite from aircraft noise. "
Web site:
The report can be seen here: