The opening of the north runway in 1996 was the culmination of some 50 years of planning, public hearings, Environmental Review Panel recommendations, directions on its operation from the Minister of Transport and four years of construction.

The runway was built to meet the increasing demand for air travel in and out of British Columbia. Many alternatives to a north runway at YVR were considered, including using other airports or building a whole new airport somewhere else. Building the north runway proved to be the best option.

Since the runway opened, extensive work has continued to determine how best to use it and minimize noise for those living in communities near the airport.

In setting the rules for north runway operations, the Minister of Transport used the recommendations of the Environmental Review Panel for guidance. Two key directions were that the runway would not be used between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m., and that daytime take-offs would be phased in. This meant the runway would be used primarily for arrivals and, as it became necessary, for departures as well.

The need to use the north runway for departures arises now as more people are wanting to fly and demand for aircraft to use the airport's runways is so great it cannot be handled otherwise.

When planes are lining up to take off or circling above waiting to land, we know demand is too great for our resources and delays are the result. Delays have a direct cost to passengers, the community, airlines and the environment. When aircraft are delayed, passengers can miss connections, and the cost of wasted fuel and crew time is usually passed on to the consumer in the price of a ticket.

Like rush hour traffic on the roads, our runways are very busy at specific, peak times. The greatest peaks occur during the summer months, particularly in the middle of the day on weekdays. It is during this time that we expect the north runway will have to be used for departures.

If the demand for services at YVR continues to increase in coming years, we expect the number of departures to also increase. However, the north runway will not be used at night for either arrivals or departures with the exception of emergencies and maintenance, as outlined in the Minister's directive.