Airport noise complaints for June 2011

The Toronto Port Authority (TPA) received a total of 57 complaints last month, only five (5) of which were related to the  record 2,357 commercial flights coming into and leaving Billy Bishop Airport in June. 

Of the 57 total complaints, 44 were related to aircraft, including 11 medevac complaints and another 10 about general aviation, a category that includes private based aircraft and flight schools.  Ten flight complaints could not be correlated to any specific aircraft with the airport’s new aircraft flight tracking and noise system based on the complaint details.  TPA President and CEO Geoffrey Wilson said that while June had a record number of commercial flights there remains a large number of aircraft operations that are ‘fly-overs’, just passing through the area and not landing at Billy Bishop.  The Billy Bishop Airport experienced just under 20,000 such ‘fly-overs’ in 2010.

The TPA introduced its new Noise Management Programme in February 2011, in response to recommendations made in the Jacobs Consultancy Report of February 2010.  Consistent with best practices at other international airports, experienced noise management staff are responsible for monitoring aircraft operations and responding to noise complaints within five business days, and making monthly reports public within three weeks of the end of the previous month.  All 57 complaints were responded to within the five-day customer service window.

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Media Contact:  Suzanna Birchwood, 416 863 2036/416 317 6405 (mobile)