Toronto (June 2, 2015) – PortsToronto, the owner and operator of Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport, today released the airport's 2014 annual Noise Management Report, a compilation of all noise data and complaints submitted to the airport’s Noise Management Office over the course of the year. Overall complaints decreased a significant 20 per cent, going from 503 complaints in 2013 to 410 complaints in
2014, as PortsToronto worked with both the community and airport's air carriers to develop infrastructure, policies and partnerships aimed at reducing and mitigating the airport's noise impact on the surrounding community.
The 20 per cent decrease in complaints for 2014 can be largely attributed to a nearly 45 per cent reduction in engine maintenance run-up noise complaints, 89 complaints in 2014 compared with more than 160 the year prior.
“Operating an airport that is part of a thriving, mixed-use urban waterfront requires balance to ensure that our operations don’t overwhelm the neighbourhood and that measures are in place to mitigate the airport's impacts – such as noise,” said Gene Cabral, Executive Vice President of PortsToronto and Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport. “One area of significant focus for us in 2014 was responding to concerns we'd heard from the community regarding engine run-up noise. We worked together with our commercial air carriers to ensure that engine run-ups were, as much as possible and in accordance with our posted Aircraft Maintenance Run Procedures, undertaken only in approved run-up locations and during daytime hours of operation. The nearly 45 per cent reduction in engine run-up complaints in this year's noise report is one example of how PortsToronto’s efforts to engage with the community, and adapt the practices of those who operate out of our airport, can result in solutions that ensure that the airport continues to fit within the context of Toronto’s mixed-use waterfront.”
Another such example of identifying solutions is PortsToronto's launch of Webtrak, an Internet-based software service that enables anyone with a computer, smartphone or tablet to gather information on an aircraft they hear flying overhead. Information can be collected on the aircraft type, altitude, destination and point of departure.
“Over the past few years, PortsToronto has introduced several improvements, including noise barriers and re-designed public areas, to mitigate and reduce the effects of noise from our airport’s operations. WebTrak took our efforts a step further by engaging the public to learn more about what’s happening in the airspace above them. The data available on Webtrak
empowers people to see and better understand the airport’s operations and has enabled us to better respond to the complaints that relate to our operations or direct complaints to the appropriate airport,” continued Cabral.
In addition to a breakdown of complaints by source, the 2014 noise report confirms zero violations of Billy Bishop Airport’s strict nighttime curfew, which ensures only medical evacuations and emergency flights are allowed to depart or land at the airport between
11:00 p.m. and 6:45 a.m. Future plans to reduce and mitigate the airport’s noise impact include a second noise barrier and engine maintenance and run-up noise housing area scheduled for completion by the end of 2016, as well as the installation of new equipment on the airport’s ferries and a new early-morning start-up procedure to dampen engine noise. Billy Bishop Airport’s pedestrian tunnel project is also scheduled to be completed in July, which will play an important role in smoothing passenger flow which will have a positive impact on mainland ground traffic. Efforts will also continue to encourage passengers to use the airport shuttle, transit or other forms of transportation to get to and from the airport. This includes the June 1, 2015, addition of a fourth shuttle bus to make getting to the airport by shuttle even more convenient.
About Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport
With flights to 20 destinations in Canada and the United States and connections to 80 locations around the world, Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport provides travellers coming into and out of Canada's largest city with a convenient travel option located a short 2.8 kilometres from Toronto’s downtown core. In 2014, the airport served more than 2.4 million passengers, making it the ninth-busiest airport in Canada and the sixth-busiest Canadian airport serving the United States. In 2015, Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport was named one of the top regional airports in North America by Skytrax World Airport Awards, was a finalist for Best Airport in the Business Travel Awards, and was voted one of the Top 10 Most Beautiful Airport Approaches in the world by Private Fly.
About PortsToronto (http://www.portstoronto.com/)
For more than 100 years PortsToronto, (formerly the Toronto Port Authority), has worked with its partners at the federal, provincial and municipal levels to enhance the economic growth of the City of Toronto and the Greater Toronto Area. PortsToronto owns and operates Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport, which welcomes more than two million passengers each year; the Outer Harbour Marina, one of Canada's largest freshwater marinas; and, Terminals 51 and 52, which provide transportation, distribution, storage and container services to businesses at the Port of Toronto. PortsToronto is committed to fostering strong, healthy and sustainable communities and has invested more than $6.7 million since 2009 in charitable initiatives and environmental programs that benefit communities along Toronto's waterfront and beyond. PortsToronto operates in accordance with the Canada Marine Act and is guided by a nine-member board with representation from all three levels of government.
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Media Contact:
Erin Mikaluk, Senior Manager, Communications & Media Relations, PortsToronto
Tel: (416) 863-2065; Cell: (647) 298-0544; E-mail: emikaluk@portstoronto.com