Airspace
NAV CANADA is the air navigation service provider for all of Canada. NAV CANADA designs and publishes flight paths and procedures according to standards set by Transport Canada and the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) to ensure safe and efficient movement of aircraft.
Airspace around YVR
The airspace over the Lower Mainland is very confined and complex due the mountains to the north, US airspace to the south, numerous airports in the region, and a diverse mix of aircraft operating in the airspace. As a result, all areas of Metro Vancouver experience some level of aircraft over-flights. For further information on YVR aircraft routing and flight paths, please visit our FAQ page.
Vancouver Airspace Modernization Project
Changes to arrivals procedures
The airspace around Vancouver International Airport (YVR) is one of the busiest and most complex in Canada. It supports the significant community demand for passenger, cargo, flight training, and recreational operations with a wide range of aircraft types.
The Vancouver Airspace Modernization Project (VAMP) is a project led by NAV CANADA, the country’s air navigation service provider. Through VAMP, NAV CANADA is implementing changes to arrival procedures at YVR, affecting the flight paths used by arriving aircraft over various areas around Metro Vancouver.
Changes through VAMP will modernize the airspace and enhance safety. The project will also introduce new arrival procedures based on Required Navigation Performance (RNP) criteria. RNP is an instrument approach that uses satellites and advanced flight systems to help aircraft line up with the runway sooner, fly shorter routes, use less fuel, and create fewer emissions. These procedures also allow aircraft to descend in a smoother path, which has been proven to reduce noise by 1–5 decibels compared to other traditional types of procedures.
VAMP will not change how YVR’s runways are used, flight paths used by departing aircraft, as well as routes used by small aircraft operating from other airports in the region.
The new arrival flight paths must be designed to meet strict Transport Canada design criteria to ensure a high level of safety. Where possible, the new flight paths were designed to route aircraft over less densely populated areas like industrial lands, bodies of water, and parkland to help reduce noise exposure on the community while improving operational efficiency and reducing emissions.
NAV CANADA conducted community consultations from December 2022 to February 2023, where residents were able to learn about and provide feedback on proposed initial designs for the new flight paths. Following the consultation period, several noise mitigation measures to address community concerns were incorporated into the final design by leveraging advances in air traffic management technologies. While some communities may notice more aircraft activity than before, most communities surrounding YVR will see less or similar operations as they do now.
Following the introduction of the new arrival procedures into federal Aeronautical Publications, the new arrival procedures will go into effect in November 2025, with the RNP procedures following in February 2026. A review will occur 180 days following implementation of all new procedures and will be made available on the NAV CANADA website.
To learn more about the project and the final designs of the new arrival procedures, please visit: www.navcanada.ca/VAMP.
Airspace Change Communications and Consultation Protocol (ACCCP)
Should there be changes to the flight paths and procedures, the aviation industry is committed to communicating and consulting with the community about planned changes. The ACCCP, adopted in 2015, was developed jointly by Canadian airports and NAV CANADA to address community communication and consultation requirements related to changes to the airspace. It outlines how and when the aviation industry communicates and consults during airspace changes and defines roles and responsibilities of the parties involved.
Community Design Principles
Following the adoption of the ACCCP, the YVR Aeronautical Noise Management Committee (ANMC) identified “community design principles”, intended to help airspace designers incorporate community considerations whenever flexibility exists to minimize disturbance on communities without compromising safety.