Flight paths into airport to be reviewed

Ottawa suggests shifting approach to airport’s newest runway would cut noise

Peace and quiet could be on the horizon for residents of several west Calgary communities who have endured noisy flyovers by inbound aircraft since the 2014 opening of the nation’s longest runway at the city’s international airport.

In March, the federal transportation committee released a report assessing the effect of airport noise on communities near the nation’s largest airports, after holding a series of public hearings that began last October.

Among the 16 recommendations committee members made to the federal government was one specifically related to Calgary’s airport, asking Transport Canada and Nav Canada to study potentially shifting the west side approach to the new runway outside the city’s western boundary to reduce the effect on denser populations.

Calgary Signal Hill MP Ron Liepert, who sits on the transportation committee, put forward the recommendation to look at shifting the current route for aircraft, which currently aligns with Sarcee Trail, directly affecting a number of west-side communities.

“When you look west of Sarcee Trail, it’s pretty much all pasture land. Why not look at flying along that instead of traversing the entire length of the city,” he said.

Liepert said some of his constituents began making noise about the increase in air traffic over communities following the opening of the $600-million, 14,000-foot runway that opened to air traffic five years ago next month.

Its opening came soon after changes to flight procedures in an effort to create more direct flights while improving safety and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. However, the changes also exposed some previously unaffected areas to a sudden influx of overhead air traffic.

According to the Calgary Airport Authority’s 2017 annual noise report, some 5,736 noise complaints were lodged, a drop from the 6,458 concerns tallied the previous year and the more than 10,000 registered in 2015. The federal report found that some 72 per cent of all complaints made in Calgary in 2017 came from five callers.

The committee also heard that those living in the path of aircraft can have both their health and quality of life affected, ranging from general annoyance to hypertension.

West Calgary Coun. Jeff Davison said while he understands there are several agencies that will ultimately have a hand in any alterations to the current flight paths, if there’s an option that reduces the effects on communities it should be considered.

“It makes total sense to me,” Davison said of Liepert’s recommendation to explore moving the approach farther west.

“It’s something well within the jurisdiction of the (transportation) minister to look at.”

In a statement, the Calgary Airport Authority said it is reviewing the implications of changing the flight paths, noting it has actively aimed to reduce noise effects from overhead aircraft.

“We are aware of the recommendation by the Transportation Committee and are reviewing the implications to the Airport Authority,” the authority said.

“YYC’s role is to continue to actively monitor flight operations. We maintain a Noise Management Program that consists of a Noise Monitoring Program, community engagement via consultative committee meetings, and a noise concern investigation program.”

Despite his recommendation earning support, Liepert admits he’s not entirely optimistic the existing flight paths will be significantly altered.

“The problem is that this is an issue where it’s hard to point your finger and say, ‘you fix it,’” he said.

“I’m just hoping Nav Canada can review these routes — in light of how it’s impacting people’s lives, can you take another look at it?”