Why does aircraft noise at my house change from day to day?

Pearson's runways are used in different directions depending on the wind. On "west-flow" days aircraft land from the east — over Toronto's west end, Etobicoke and east Mississauga — and depart to the west over Brampton, Meadowvale and Milton. When the wind swings the airport flips to "east-flow" and the pattern reverses. Pearson also has five runways and a preferential-runway system, so which one is in use shifts the noise around. The pin-drop tool above shows the real pattern for any address.

How many flights does Toronto Pearson handle, and how many at night?

Pearson runs around 1,300 flights a day. About 3.5% of them — an average of roughly 46 a night — operate in the restricted overnight window between 12:30 AM and 6:30 AM. Transport Canada caps the number of night flights each year, and during those hours a preferential runway system is used to route aircraft over the fewest people possible.

Which areas around Pearson get the most aircraft noise?

Malton, which wraps the north-east corner of the airport, plus Rexdale and West Humber in Etobicoke off the eastern runway ends, are the most consistently affected. Beyond them, Toronto's west end (the Junction, High Park) sits under the long approach on west-flow days, while Brampton and west Mississauga get the westbound departures.

What are the GTAA "Six Ideas" and the airspace changes about?

After NAV CANADA's airspace redesign concentrated some flight paths and drove a surge in complaints, the Greater Toronto Airports Authority and NAV CANADA worked with communities on a set of noise-mitigation measures — widely known as the Six Ideas — covering night-time runway use, new arrival and departure routes, and a quieter-operations roadmap. Reviews and trials of preferential runway use have continued since.

Is Pearson getting bigger?

Pearson is the busiest airport in Canada and the GTAA has long-term plans to grow capacity at the existing site, including a regional transit hub. Any expansion is subject to planning and consultation. The map above reflects how aircraft fly today, not future plans.

How do I make an aircraft noise complaint about Pearson?

The GTAA runs a noise-management office and an online complaint and flight-tracking service, and works with NAV CANADA, which controls the flight paths. Logging complaints feeds the data that shapes Pearson's noise-management action plans and the community consultations.

How do I check the noise at my specific address?

Use the pin-drop tool at the top of this page. Drop a pin on your home and it reports how many aircraft pass nearby, how loud they typically are, and how that activity splits across the hours of the day — useful at Pearson, where the west-flow/east-flow split and five runways mean it is worth checking how your address fares in different configurations.

Toronto Pearson Flight Path Noise Map – Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ)

Name: Aircraft noise observations near Toronto Pearson International Airport
Creator: Flight Path Noise
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Aircraft noise around Toronto Pearson in October 2026

Loudest neighborhoods near Toronto Pearson: Malton, Rexdale (Etobicoke), West Humber–Clairville. Quietest: Oakville (north), Erin Mills, Milton. Busiest around 4 PM local time averaging 1286 flights/day. Source: Flight Path Noise monitoring data, 30 days to 2026-10-18.

Flights by hour · last 30 days

12a6a12p6p

Average daily traffic

1286

flights / day · 38,568 total

Busiest hour

4 PM

peak 95 dB

Loudest hour

4 PM

peak 95 dB

Loudest residential area

Malton

68 dB avg · ~1,026 flights/day · Busy road

The Mississauga community wrapped around the north-east corner of the field — under low departures and arrivals on every runway configuration.

Does Toronto Pearson Airport have a curfew?

Partial — no full curfew, but a nightly cap on flights (12:30 AM–6:30 AM).

Not a full curfew. Pearson operates 24 hours, but the overnight period from 12:30 AM to 6:30 AM is restricted by an annual cap on the number of night flights and by a nighttime preferential runway system designed to overfly the fewest residents. Only a limited number of movements are permitted overnight. The hourly breakdown in the pin-drop report shows how that plays out at your address.

rnp-ar.aspx publisher: NAV CANADA - title: Toronto Pearson International Airport url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toronto_Pearson_International_Airport publisher: Wikipedia - title: Residents want answers at GTAA meeting on Pearson flight noise url: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/residents-want-answers-at-gtaa-meeting-on-pearson-flight-noise-during-runway-revamp-1.4074442 publisher: CBC News

Toronto Pearson is the busiest airport in Canada, sitting in Mississauga about 22 km north-west of downtown Toronto and ringed by dense suburbs on every side. With around 1,300 flights a day across five runways, it spreads noise over a huge swathe of the western Greater Toronto Area — from Malton and Etobicoke right at the fence, out across Mississauga and Brampton, and along the approach corridors into Toronto’s west end. A NAV CANADA airspace redesign that concentrated flight paths triggered years of complaints and organised community pushback, making Pearson noise one of the most consulted-on aviation issues in the country.

Which neighborhoods are quietest — and which aren’t

Pearson’s noise depends heavily on which way the airport is running. On “west-flow” days — common with prevailing westerly winds — aircraft land from the east, descending over Toronto’s west end, Etobicoke and east Mississauga, and take off to the west over Brampton, Meadowvale and out toward Milton. On “east-flow” days it reverses. With five runways and a preferential-runway system, the exact mix shifts day to day.

The most affected areas are the ones wrapped around the field: Malton, off the north-east corner, and Rexdale and West Humber in Etobicoke off the eastern runway ends, all under low movements in multiple configurations. Beyond them, the long approach corridor over the Junction, High Park and Mimico carries descending arrivals on west-flow days, while Brampton and west Mississauga take the westbound departures. Areas further south and off to the side — Oakville, Erin Mills, Milton — hear mostly higher, intermittent traffic.

Area	Exposure	Why
Malton, Rexdale, West Humber	✈︎✈︎✈︎	Wrapped around the field / under the eastern runway ends
Brampton (south), Meadowvale, Thistletown	✈︎✈︎	Western departures and eastern arrivals
The Junction, High Park, Mimico	✈︎✈︎	Under the long approach on west-flow days
Woodbridge, Erin Mills	✈︎✈︎	Off the side of the main tracks
Oakville, Milton	✈︎	Further out; higher-altitude traffic

Flight patterns and runway use

Pearson has five runways — two parallel east–west pairs plus a north-west/south-east pair — which gives air traffic control a lot of flexibility but also means the noise can move around the region as runways change. The airport uses a preferential runway system, especially overnight, to direct aircraft over the fewest people possible. Of roughly 1,300 daily flights, about 46 a night operate in the restricted 12:30 AM–6:30 AM window, under a Transport Canada annual cap.

The defining recent chapter has been airspace change. NAV CANADA’s redesign of Toronto-area routes concentrated some flight paths into narrower corridors, sharply increasing noise for the communities beneath them and prompting a wave of complaints. In response the GTAA and NAV CANADA developed a package of noise-mitigation measures — the “Six Ideas” and a Quieter Operations Roadmap — covering night-time runway use, revised arrival and departure routes, and ongoing trials of preferential runway pairings.

When is it quietest?

Pearson operates 24 hours, so there is no period when flights stop entirely, but the overnight window is the quietest by far: only a capped number of movements are allowed between 12:30 AM and 6:30 AM, and those are routed to overfly the fewest residents. The busiest stretches are the morning and evening departure and arrival banks. Because the west-flow/east-flow split and the five-runway system change the picture so much, the hourly breakdown in the pin-drop report is the most reliable guide to your own street.

How to check noise at your specific address

The map at the top of this page shows the overall noise and flight-density picture, but the pin drop is the most useful tool. Drop a pin on your home and the report tells you how many aircraft pass nearby, how loud they typically are, and how that activity splits across the hours of the day. Around Pearson, where the active runways and flow direction change frequently, it is worth checking how your address fares across different configurations rather than relying on a single day’s experience.

Frequently asked questions

Why does aircraft noise at my house change from day to day?: Pearson's runways are used in different directions depending on the wind. On "west-flow" days aircraft land from the east — over Toronto's west end, Etobicoke and east Mississauga — and depart to the west over Brampton, Meadowvale and Milton. When the wind swings the airport flips to "east-flow" and the pattern reverses. Pearson also has five runways and a preferential-runway system, so which one is in use shifts the noise around. The pin-drop tool above shows the real pattern for any address.
How many flights does Toronto Pearson handle, and how many at night?: Pearson runs around 1,300 flights a day. About 3.5% of them — an average of roughly 46 a night — operate in the restricted overnight window between 12:30 AM and 6:30 AM. Transport Canada caps the number of night flights each year, and during those hours a preferential runway system is used to route aircraft over the fewest people possible.
Which areas around Pearson get the most aircraft noise?: Malton, which wraps the north-east corner of the airport, plus Rexdale and West Humber in Etobicoke off the eastern runway ends, are the most consistently affected. Beyond them, Toronto's west end (the Junction, High Park) sits under the long approach on west-flow days, while Brampton and west Mississauga get the westbound departures.
What are the GTAA "Six Ideas" and the airspace changes about?: After NAV CANADA's airspace redesign concentrated some flight paths and drove a surge in complaints, the Greater Toronto Airports Authority and NAV CANADA worked with communities on a set of noise-mitigation measures — widely known as the Six Ideas — covering night-time runway use, new arrival and departure routes, and a quieter-operations roadmap. Reviews and trials of preferential runway use have continued since.
Is Pearson getting bigger?: Pearson is the busiest airport in Canada and the GTAA has long-term plans to grow capacity at the existing site, including a regional transit hub. Any expansion is subject to planning and consultation. The map above reflects how aircraft fly today, not future plans.
How do I make an aircraft noise complaint about Pearson?: The GTAA runs a noise-management office and an online complaint and flight-tracking service, and works with NAV CANADA, which controls the flight paths. Logging complaints feeds the data that shapes Pearson's noise-management action plans and the community consultations.
How do I check the noise at my specific address?: Use the pin-drop tool at the top of this page. Drop a pin on your home and it reports how many aircraft pass nearby, how loud they typically are, and how that activity splits across the hours of the day — useful at Pearson, where the west-flow/east-flow split and five runways mean it is worth checking how your address fares in different configurations.

Sources and further reading

Toronto Pearson — Noise Management — Greater Toronto Airports Authority
Quieter Operations Roadmap — Community Conversations — Greater Toronto Airports Authority
Toronto Pearson — RNP AR arrival routes

Data updated 2026-10-18 — live ADS-B monitoring, rolling 30-day statistics (methodology). Article text revised 2026-06-12.

30 dB	Whisper
45 dB	Quiet residential
55 dB	Normal conversation
65 dB	Busy road
75 dB	Vacuum cleaner
85 dB	Heavy traffic
95 dB	Motorcycle nearby

Flight Noise

Layers

Live Tracking

Filters

Saved Pins

Flight Noise — User Manual

What is this?

Live Tracking

Heatmap

Flight Paths

Point Analysis

Noise Level Reference

Filters

Tips

Share this map

Pins shared with you

Toronto Pearson Flight Path Noise Map – Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ)

Aircraft noise around Toronto Pearson in October 2026

Does Toronto Pearson Airport have a curfew?

Which neighborhoods are quietest — and which aren’t

Flight patterns and runway use

When is it quietest?

How to check noise at your specific address

Frequently asked questions

Sources and further reading

Other airports we track

🇦🇺 Adelaide, Australia

🇪🇸 Alicante, Spain

🇳🇱 Amsterdam, Netherlands

🇦🇺 Archerfield, Australia

🇬🇷 Athens, Greece

🇺🇸 Atlanta, USA

🇳🇿 Auckland, New Zealand

🇺🇸 Austin, USA

🇮🇩 Bali, Indonesia

🇦🇺 Ballina, Australia

🇺🇸 Baltimore, USA

🇮🇳 Bangalore, India

🇹🇭 Bangkok, Thailand

🇦🇺 Bankstown, Australia

🇪🇸 Barcelona, Spain

🇫🇷 Basel, France

🇱🇧 Beirut, Lebanon

🇬🇧 Belfast City, UK

🇩🇪 Berlin, Germany

🇪🇸 Bilbao, Spain

🇨🇦 Billy Bishop, Canada

🇬🇧 Birmingham, UK

🇨🇴 Bogotá, Colombia

🇺🇸 Boston, USA

🇦🇺 Brisbane, Australia

🇬🇧 Bristol, UK

🇧🇪 Brussels, Belgium

🇧🇪 Brussels Charleroi, Belgium

🇭🇺 Budapest, Hungary

🇦🇷 Buenos Aires, Argentina

🇦🇺 Canberra, Australia

🇿🇦 Cape Town, South Africa

🇨🇴 Cartagena, Colombia

🇺🇸 Charlotte, USA

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai, Thailand

🇺🇸 Chicago, USA

🇺🇸 Chicago O'Hare, USA

🇳🇿 Christchurch, New Zealand

🇩🇪 Cologne, Germany

🇩🇰 Copenhagen, Denmark

🇵🇪 Cusco, Peru

🇻🇳 Da Nang, Vietnam

🇺🇸 Dallas, USA

🇮🇳 Delhi, India

🇺🇸 Denver, USA

🇺🇸 Detroit, USA

🇺🇸 DFW, USA

🇶🇦 Doha, Qatar

🇹🇭 Don Mueang, Thailand

🇦🇪 Dubai, UAE

🇮🇪 Dublin, Ireland

🇩🇪 Düsseldorf, Germany

🇬🇧 Edinburgh, UK

🇳🇱 Eindhoven, Netherlands

Adelaide, Australia

Alicante, Spain

Amsterdam, Netherlands

Archerfield, Australia

Athens, Greece

Atlanta, USA

Auckland, New Zealand

Austin, USA

Bali, Indonesia

Ballina, Australia

Baltimore, USA

Bangalore, India

Bangkok, Thailand

Bankstown, Australia

Barcelona, Spain

Basel, France

Beirut, Lebanon

Belfast City, UK

Berlin, Germany

Bilbao, Spain

Billy Bishop, Canada

Birmingham, UK

Bogotá, Colombia

Boston, USA

Brisbane, Australia

Bristol, UK

Brussels, Belgium

Brussels Charleroi, Belgium

Budapest, Hungary

Buenos Aires, Argentina

Canberra, Australia

Cape Town, South Africa

Cartagena, Colombia

Charlotte, USA

Chiang Mai, Thailand

Chicago, USA

Chicago O'Hare, USA

Christchurch, New Zealand

Cologne, Germany

Copenhagen, Denmark

Cusco, Peru

Da Nang, Vietnam

Dallas, USA

Delhi, India

Denver, USA

Detroit, USA

DFW, USA

Doha, Qatar

Don Mueang, Thailand

Dubai, UAE

Dublin, Ireland

Düsseldorf, Germany

Edinburgh, UK

Eindhoven, Netherlands

Faro, Portugal

Florence, Italy

Fort Lauderdale, USA

Frankfurt, Germany

Funchal, Portugal

Gatwick, UK

Geneva, Switzerland

Glasgow, UK

Gold Coast, Australia

Hamburg, Germany

Hanoi, Vietnam

Heathrow, UK

Helsinki, Finland

Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Hobart, Australia

Hong Kong, Hong Kong

Honolulu, USA

Houston, USA

Houston IAH, USA

Ibiza, Spain

Jandakot, Australia

John Wayne, USA

Kathmandu, Nepal

Keflavík, Iceland

Kraków, Poland

Las Vegas, USA