Not just airport area residents: aircraft noise affects whole areas of a city. It may have something to do with the generally more densely (and longer settled) nature of many European cities and countries compared to the US.

Take LHR as an example: not feasible to route the flight paths away from London, not feasible to expand the airport so the runways point in other directions, not yet been possible to secure appropriate land for a replacement. Half of South London can hear aircraft coming in to land (I live in Stockwell, and have just heard one go past). I'm rather glad we don't have 732s (or regular Concordes!) going overhead!