Topic: Summer Weekend Runway Alternation Program 2019

Toronto Pearson is Canada’s busiest airport. We understand that our operations and growth impact the communities around us. Through our Noise Management Action Plan we’re working with our partners and the community to manage aircraft noise impacts.

A recent example is our three-year collaboration with NAV CANADA on the Six Ideas: A Quieter Operations Roadmap. Idea 5 of the six ideas is a Summer Weekend Runway Alternation Program that we tested for eight weekends in summer 2018. The results indicated community support and operational feasibility for a longer summer trial. 

The trial is now complete. 

Trial performance did not meet the objective of providing consecutive, meaningful respite to the community. Feedback received during and after the trial suggests a lack of community support for the program. The GTAA will not pursue implementation of the Summer Weekend Runway Alternation Program.

A runway alternation program is designed to give residents some relief from aircraft overhead every other weekend. This means that one weekend communities may see fewer airplanes, while the next they will see the same or a few more airplanes than they currently do.

2019 Dates: Weekends (Saturdays and Sundays) from May 25 to September 8

Time: 6:30 am to midnight

Scope: East and west runways only 

Communities involved in the trial

Highlighted areas on the map below are part of the trial. These areas are on the final approach or initial departure paths for the east/west runways.

  • group A communities are blue on the map and will have the same partial relief weekends
  • group B communities are green on the map and will have the same partial relief weekends

During a partial relief weekend, expect reduced airplane traffic. On non-relief weekends, expect normal or slightly increased airplane traffic.

Areas not highlighted on the map are not part of the trial. These areas should not expect different levels of airplane traffic on the weekends during the trial.

The north/south runways are not part of the trial but will be continue to be used if weather or safety dictates.

2019 partial relief schedule

Download the 2019 summer trial schedule (PDF, 206 KB).

Weekend Group A Group B
May 25–26 Partial relief Non-relief
June 1–2 Non-relief Partial relief
June 8–9 Partial relief Non-relief
June 15–16 Non-relief Partial relief
June 22–23 Partial relief Non-relief
June 15–16 Non-relief Partial relief
June 22–23 Partial relief Non relief
June 29–30 Non-relief Partial relief
July 6–7 Partial relief Non-relief
July 13–14 Non-relief Partial relief
July 20–21 Partial relief Non-relief
July 27–28 Non-relief Partial relief
August 3–4 Partial relief Non-relief
August 10–11 Non-relief Partial relief
August 17–18 Partial relief Non-relief
August 24–25 Non-relief Partial relief
August 31–September 1 Partial relief Non-relief
September 7–8 Non-relief Partial relief

Question and answer guide

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