Montrealers petition to halt Trudeau airport expansion over noise concerns

Montreal residents living near flight paths are pushing back against plans to expand Trudeau International Airport, citing concerns over increased noise pollution.

A citizens group has launched a petition urging the federal government to block the project, which aims to accommodate millions of additional passengers by 2028.

“We are awakened by the noise of the airplanes taking off at 1 a.m., 2 a.m. or landing in the middle of the night,” said Pierre Lachapelle, the president of the group Les Pollues de Montreal-Trudeau.

The airport authority, which is already struggling with congestion, plans on expanding the terminal, adding more gates and enlarging pick up and drop off zones.

“Right now, we think the red line has been crossed with the number of planes coming to Montreal,” Lachapelle said.

In an email Aeroports de Montreal (ADM) said more passengers does not necessarily mean more planes in the sky.

Since 2011, the ADM has seen an increase of 50 per cent more passengers sitting on 15 per cent fewer flights. The agency said it was due to a higher load factor and the use of larger capacity aircraft.

The ADM is also working to modify the criteria for restricted times when aircraft can takeoff or land based on noise levels of aircraft instead of weight.

“New generation aircraft are much quieter than older generation aircraft. Today, some small jets that operate with no restriction, are noisier than the newer planes that weigh more than 45,000 kg,” the ADM said.

Lachapelle said the federal government should be responsible for airplane noise levels and believes it should regulate airport authorities.

“There is no accountability. And there's there is no transparency,” he said.

CTV News reached out to Transport Canada for comment, but did not hear back from them.

The group hopes residents bothered by airplane noise will write to their MP and sign the petition.