The new runway at the Calgary International Airport (YYC) may be more efficient for the airport, but for some residents in Airdrie it’s a nuisance.
The runway was opened on June 28, after three years of development and a $2-billion investment.
“The flight path is right above my house,” King’s Heights resident, Bryan Grosul said. “We’ve notice a dramatic increase of flight traffic and it’s quite loud.”
Grosul, president of the house building company Sovereign Homes, said he is not happy about the increase in plane traffic over his home.
“We’ve seen a 100 per cent increase of traffic,” he said. “My wife and I sat for about two hours and counted 50 planes.”
Grosul has lived in Airdrie since 1997, and in King’s Heights for the past six years. King’s Heights is located in southeast Airdrie, just off Yankee Blvd. and Kingsview Blvd.
Fellow King’s Height resident Paul Davidson said the change wasn’t what he was looking for when he came to Airdrie.
“With the planes flying over my house, it feels like I never left Castleridge (in northeast, Calgary),” Davidson said.
According to Jody Moseley, a Calgary Airport media contact, traffic has not increased at the airport.
“We’re still experiencing the same amount of traffic at YYC, it’s just dispersed onto the different runways,” she said.
She added the airport is currently compiling complaints from residents in Calgary and surrounding areas.
“If you have any concerns, we can get back to you with some information and data and answer some of the questions,” she said.
On the YYC website, maps indicate that noise exposure from aircraft in neighbourhoods range from south Calgary to south Airdrie.
Mayor Peter Brown said he hasn’t noticed much of a change with the new flight path.
“I’ve noticed planes flying overhead of my house (in Stonegate), but I haven’t seen an increase,” he said.
Brown added he has noticed a few complaints from the south part of the city, including the neighbourhood of King’s Heights.
“I can understand (the complaints) from different residents who have noticed an increase,” Brown said. “They’re essentially perpendicular to the airport.”
To inform the airport of complaints about the noise, Brown encouraged residents to contact YYC authorities.
Moseley said the change in the YYC flight path was to make sure the aircraft and airport are following safety procedures during takeoffs and landings.
“They arrive and depart in the wind,” Moseley said, referring to planes taking off and landing in the wind to becoming airbourne or decrease speed more efficiently.
Davidson said he’d like the airport to be more sensitive to people in residential areas.
“Complaints only go so far,” Davidson said. “If they were building this runway, then they must have known that it was going to affect people.”
In 2010, the airport held public consultation meetings on the construction of the runway in Calgary.
Moseley said that the airport will try and connect with people within a few days after they lodge a complaint.
“We’re responding to individual concerns as quickly as we can,” Moseley said.
She said she has not seen an increase in complaints but more people are calling to ask about the new runway. For more information, visit yyc.com or call 403-735-1408.
