Ever wonder why there are the sounds of planes over Richmond in the middle of the night?
Richmond is home to the country's second busiest airport, Vancouver International Airport (YVR), which has commercial, private and cargo aircraft flying in and out daily.
A Tsawwassen resident was recently woken up at 3:40 a.m. by a jet flying over her house and waking her up.
The resident explained she has experienced multiple jets passing over her home at approximately 10-minute intervals, between the hours of 5 a.m. and midnight.
Adriana Unger, spokesperson for the Vancouver Airport Authority, which manages YVR, said the airport is open 24 hours a day to "serve the travel and business demands of the region."
"Air traffic overnight is a combination of cargo and courier flights, which deliver time-sensitive packages, and scheduled passenger flights including some wide-body departures to Asia-Pacific," said Unger.
Furthermore, air ambulance, which transports patients to and from remote locations in B.C. to the Vancouver area for care at local hospitals also operates most of the time at night using both helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft.
On average, there are 20 to 30 movements per night between midnight and 6 a.m., about three per cent of the total flights at YVR.
Flights at night are conducted under Noise Abatement Procedures that are designed to "minimize disturbance during night-time hours," according to YVR's website.
The flight paths of planes at airports across Canada, including YVR, are designed and set by Nav Canada, the country's air navigation service provider.
Unger told the Richmond News, there has been no change to the airspace and flight paths at YVR since 2007.
Increased air traffic over certain areas in Richmond and other municipalities depends on which runway is active at the airport and the wind conditions on the airfield.
Unger added YVR's north runway is not used for any overnight flights aside from exceptions such as emergencies or planned maintenance work.
For example, YVR had to use the north runway more during the airport's South Airfield Rehabilitation Project in 2023, which caused increased noise last year.
Work on the south runway was completed in December and regular use of the parallel runways resumed immediately, explained Unger.
Flights that do not follow the night-time hour procedures can be fined by Transport Canada Civil Aviation Enforcement.
Got an opinion on this story or any others in Richmond? Send us a letter or email your thoughts or story tips to [email protected].
