Transport Canada announced the end of night flights at St-Hubert Airport from 1 a.m. after complaints from residents on the South Shore that they were being inconvenienced by aircraft noise.er April
“Airplane noise at night has been a major concern for Longueuil residents for years. It's been more than a year since I learned that Chrono Aviation asked the airport to ban Boeing 737-200 flights at night. I made the decision to protect the peace and tranquility of the people of Longueuil,” Transportation Minister Pablo Rodriguez said in a written statement.
Chrono Aviation is a carrier that operates night flights to bring mining company employees to the Far North in an old, noisy Boeing 737-200. Baffin Land typically has two nightly takeoffs per week, as well as three landings.
“This request was sent to the Ministry of Transport 19 months ago, so there was a long review,” said Simon-Pierre Diamond, vice-president of corporate affairs at the airport, now known as MET – Montreal Metropolitan Airport.
The order banning flights between 11 pm and 7 am will be included in the next update. Canada Air Pilot, the bible for Canadian pilots, will be released May 16, Mr. Diamond said. In the meantime, Transport Canada will issue a directive to carriers operating at the airport not to fly at night from the 1st.er April
Photo by Édouard Plante-Fréchette, La Presse Archives
Mayor of Longueuil, Catherine Fournier
Welcoming the decision, the mayor of Longueuil, Catherine Fournier, said in a press release that it was “a victory for the city and the airport, but above all for all the citizens of the south coast”. “I am very happy with this decision, based on the recommendations issued by the Office de Participation Public de Langueil in its November 2022 report and one of the key commitments of my team and myself. »
A year ago, Crono Aviation sued the managers of Saint-Hubert airport, who had already announced their intention to request a ban on night flights from April 2024.
“It is a total chrono hazard if such a limit is imposed on flight hours, as planes will be grounded, resulting in many pilots, flight attendants, employees […] should be fired because they will no longer have work or almost no work,” the suit said.
Crono Aviation directors did not respond to our interview requests for their reaction to the Transport Minister's announcement.
With Julien Arsenault, Press
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