Recreational flying at Victoria International Airport has taken off during COVID-19, but so apparently have noise complaints (Wolf Depner/News Staff)

Recreational flying at Victoria International Airport has taken off during COVID-19, but so apparently have noise complaints (Wolf Depner/News Staff)

Victoria International Airport sees rise in noise complaints

COVID-19 has led to increased complaints about propeller airplanes, with commercial air traffic down

  • Nov. 2, 2020 12:00 a.m.

New figures from Victoria International Airport show noise complaints have taken off through 2020 compared to last year.

Whereas the 2019 noise incident report from the airport shows a total of 43 complaints through 12 months, the corresponding number for the first nine months of 2020 is 52, according to figures from Rod Hunchak, director of business development and community relations.

The nature of the complaints has also changed. Whereas propeller planes were responsible for eight complaints in 2019, they bore responsibility for 27 complaints for the first nine months of 2019.

RELATED: Planes still flying in and out of Victoria International Airport despite wildfire smoke

RELATED: Pandemic nearly grounds passenger count at Victoria International Airport

Sidney Coun. Terri O’Keeffe said earlier this month in her role as a member of the airport’s noise management committee that COVID-19 has contributed to the change by encouraging more recreational flight traffic.

While the pandemic decreased large-scale commercial air traffic featuring wide-bodied planes, the number of smaller, recreational planes in the air rose, she said.

“With COVID-19, they found more people were staying home,” she said. “So there was more recreational flying going on. There was also an increase of people practising at the flight school, so a lot of people going out to do that. And pilots just doing what they can to keep up the hours that they require.

With the number of commercial aircraft flights down, prior airspace restrictions for smaller planes also expanded, she said. This change led to complaints from areas of Sidney, where residents had not previously complained, she said.

The Victoria Flying Club has strict rules against flying after 10 p.m. “They are very conscientious about not wanting to disturb residents,” she said. “However, flying schools on the (provincial mainland), usually Boundary Bay, are not as concerned.”

Notably, O’Keeffe’s comments suggested that the number of smaller planes in the air could go up in the future, as flight schools across the country look to meet a growing demand for commercial pilots.

“Within Canada, there will be a shortage of 7,300 commercial pilots by 2025,” she said. “Even with the capacity of all training centres across the country, they will only be able to turn out 4,000 new pilots. So there will be a shortage of over 3,000 pilots.”


Do you have a story tip? Email: vnc.editorial@blackpress.ca.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram, and like us on Facebook.

wolfgang.depner@peninsulanewsreview.com

Peninsula News Review