Can the Airport limit the number of planes that land and take off during the middle of the night?

Several airports have attempted to implement new restrictions on when or how aircraft fly, but to date, none have been successful in obtaining FAA approval or concurrence in the action. Unlike restrictions that were put in place prior to 1990, any such measure must now undergo an exhaustive benefit/cost analysis imposed by Federal Aviation Regulation, Part 161.  In extreme cases we believe it is possible to obtain new restrictions, but the efforts required to do so may outweigh the benefits achieved by the attempt. An option to the Part 161 process is to rigorously identify the specific operations or aircraft types that cause the problem you are attempting to address and then to seek voluntary agreements with the worst offenders. This action may result in betterment of the noise conditions, without triggering the rigorous requirements and costs associated with Part 161 planning.

The Part 150 program and the NEPA process are more useful and fully acceptable approaches to implementing noise abatement actions that do not restrict access to the airport to users. Part 150 may provide runway use programs, develop noise abatement flight tracks and procedures, and implement on-the-ground mitigation that reduces the effective impact of aircraft overflights.