Some residents of the small border town to Abbotsford’s south are upset about the increasing number of jets flying low over their homes.
Sumas Mayor Kyle Christensen wrote a letter to Abbotsford council at the end of March asking the city and the airport to consider what can be done to decrease the noise from jets flying out of YXX.
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“In recent years,” Christensen wrote, “we have noticed an increase in the number of flights departing from the Abbotsford Airport. Additionally, the flight patterns of a lot of these planes make a deliberate turn in a southernly direction right over or near our City.”
He continued: “The noise associated with these flights have resulted in numerous complaints from residents within the City of Sumas. We are requesting that you look in to the possibility of re-routing some of these flights so that they do not come right over the top of our community.”
Christensen added that he wanted to share his constituents’ concerns, but that he also wanted to “continue to have a good working relationship with your city and be good neighbours.”
Christensen repeated the sentiment in an email to The News, saying his only comment would be: “I really appreciate our good working relationship with the City of Abbotsford. It is my intention to maintain that for years to come.”
The letter was accepted by council, along with several other pieces of correspondence, at a recent meeting. Mayor Henry Braun nor any councillors commented on the letter.
Airport general manager Parm Sidhu said staff would be getting back to the Sumas mayor and that they would be consulting with the federal aviation authorities who regulate the country’s airspace regarding Christensen’s suggestion. While the airport has become significantly busier in recent years, Sidhu noted that the sheer number of daily flights has only risen from seven to 12.
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