How loud was Concorde?
The FAA estimated Concorde's peak take-off noise at 112.9 dBA at the standard point 6.5 km from the start of its take-off roll, and 109.5 dBA on approach 2 km from the runway. It tops the FAA's take-off list, ahead of every Boeing 747 variant.
- Level
- 109.5–112.9 dBA maxA-weighted maximum sound level
- Daily limit
- 46 s a dayNIOSH, at the loud end
- Versus conversation
- 74,131× energyabout 29.2× as loud
What the numbers mean
How it was measured. FAA estimated maximum A-weighted levels: 112.9 dBA at the Part 36 Appendix C take-off point and 109.5 dBA at the approach point.
Concorde heads the take-off table in the FAA's Advisory Circular 36-3H, estimated at 112.9 dBA at maximum take-off weight with its Olympus 593 engines. At the same point the Boeing 747-100 is estimated at 100.5 dBA, so Concorde was about 12 dB louder, and a modern Boeing 737-800 is estimated at 76.8 dBA.
It also leads the approach table at 109.5 dBA, 2 km from the runway threshold, compared with 97.8 dBA for the 747-100. Its engines used afterburners for take-off, and the narrow, high-speed exhaust of a supersonic design is far noisier than the large fans of subsonic airliners.
How long is safe?
NIOSH recommends no more than 46 s a day at 112.9 dBA (1 min 40 s at 109.5). OSHA's legal limit is 20 min. This is a maximum, so a time limit based on it is a worst case.
| Level | NIOSH limit (85 dBA, 3 dB rule) | OSHA limit (90 dBA, 5 dB rule) | UK/EU 80 dB(A) action value reached after | UK/EU 85 dB(A) action value reached after |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 109.5 dBA | 1 min 40 s | 32 min | 32 s | 1 min 42 s |
| 112.9 dBA | 46 s | 20 min | 15 s | 47 s |
Times are for a whole day’s exposure, with the rest of the day quiet. The workplace limits were written for adults at work, not for children. Work out a mixed day with the noise dose calculator.
Protecting your hearing
Concorde no longer flies. For other loud aircraft at air shows, foam earplugs or earmuffs and keeping well back from the runway are the practical defence.
Earplug and earmuff ratings (NRR in the US, SNR in the UK and EU) are lab figures; real-world protection is usually lower. How to read the ratings.
Compared with sounds nearby
Using midpoints of each range. Energy multiplies by 10 every 10 dB; perceived loudness roughly doubles (why).
- Piccolo (96–118 dBA): this has about 2.6× its sound energy and sounds about 1.3× as loud.
- MRI scanner (102–115.8 dBA): this has about 1.7× its sound energy and sounds about 1.2× as loud.
- Police siren (115–120 dBA): it has about 4.3× the sound energy of this and sounds about 1.5× as loud.
- Earbuds at full volume (115.5–120 dBA): it has about 4.5× the sound energy of this and sounds about 1.6× as loud.
- Normal conversation (55–70 dBA): this has about 74,131× its energy and sounds about 29.2× as loud.
Questions
How much louder was Concorde than a jumbo jet?
At the FAA take-off point it was estimated at 112.9 dBA against 100.5 dBA for a Boeing 747-100, about 12 dB louder.
Was Concorde loud on landing too?
Yes. Its approach estimate was 109.5 dBA, the highest in the FAA's approach list.
Sources
- AC 36-3H Change 1: Estimated Airplane Noise Levels in A-Weighted Decibels, US Federal Aviation Administration. Supports: dB_high 112.9 dBA take-off.
CONCORDE CONCORDE O-593/M-602 400.00 112.9
Checked 2026-11-03. - AC 36-3H Change 1: Estimated Airplane Noise Levels in A-Weighted Decibels, US Federal Aviation Administration. Supports: dB_low 109.5 dBA approach.
CONCORDE CONCORDE O-593/M-602 109.5
Checked 2026-11-03. - AC 36-3H Change 1: Estimated Airplane Noise Levels in A-Weighted Decibels, US Federal Aviation Administration. Supports: 747-100 comparison.
BOEING B-747-100 JT9D-7F 750.00 100.5
Checked 2026-11-03. - AC 36-3G: Estimated Airplane Noise Levels in A-Weighted Decibels, US Federal Aviation Administration. Supports: measurement position (OCR text of the FAA PDF).
6,500 metersfrom start of takeoff roll
Checked 2026-11-03.
This page is general information, not medical advice. If you have ringing in your ears, muffled hearing or any change in your hearing, see an audiologist or your doctor.