PORTLAND (WGME) -- The FAA issued a new ruling Thursday aimed at reducing noise and air traffic over sensitive areas and neighborhoods near the Portland Jetport.
The jetport and its noise advisory committee requested the change.
People who live and work in South Portland are still not used to jets flying overhead.
"Well, it's pretty annoying,” Josephine Montecalvo, who is tired of jets flying over her home, said. “It does wake me up at night. And it feels like, ‘Oh my God, they're going to crash.’ Because they're so close."
Dan Desena says the jets seem to follow him wherever he goes, flying over his home in Cape Elizabeth and his office in South Portland.
"I don't know what their altitude is, but I can tell you it's very low," Desena said. "It's annoying and it just seems as though it's unnecessary. Pilots are supposed to come in over ship channel and then turn up the river anyway. So I'm not sure that this new ruling changes anything."
The change made Thursday by the FAA creates a GPS system with waypoints to help pilots fly over the harbor instead of South Portland as they come in for a landing.
The waypoints enable pilots to navigate more precisely in the channel between Cushing and Peaks Islands, all the way up the harbor to the jetport, to avoid noise-sensitive areas.
"It allows for aircraft, when the visibility allows during the daytime, not to fly a direct runway heading," airport director Paul Bradbury said. "To fly this harbor visual approach much tighter, much more accurately."
Bradbury says this should be a big change.
"During daytime hours, which is a longer period during the summer when the windows are open, this could make a huge difference," Bradbury said.
Some South Portland residents are skeptical.
"I don't believe they'll ever change. Could, but who knows?" Montecalvo said.