Mr. Speaker, my short answer to the hon. member for Mississauga West would be yes. The constituents in his riding, in Mississauga and the greater Toronto area, can rest comfortably. There will be no unilateral changes to the night flight hours.
May I give some detail to the hon. member. The government has been taking positive steps to bring Canada's transportation system in line with our nation's needs as we move into the 21st century. These actions have been designed to promote safety, efficiency, affordability, service integration, innovation and commercialization.
The national airports policy is a major initiative that has shifted the federal government's role in airports from owner and operator to landlord and regulator. Among the responsibilities transferred to the new airport authorities is the responsibility for the management of noise in the vicinity of the airport and to provide a forum for consultation with the local community on matters of aircraft noise within the community.
The federal government maintains an oversight role in noise issues by keeping the final approval authority for the mandatory noise operating restrictions and noise abatement procedures published in the Canada Air Pilot .
These regulations and procedures are not guidelines but are mandatory and have the force of law. Airport authorities including the Greater Toronto Airport Authority cannot unilaterally change the published night flight restrictions, but they do have the authority to grant exemptions and extensions on the same basis as was practised by the department prior to the transfer of responsibility to the GTAA. The department does not intend to change these restrictions at this time.
With respect to exemptions and exceptions, as owner and operator of the airport Transport Canada previously managed a regulatory regime which permitted exemptions to normal hours of operations. This was to allow for the unforeseen circumstances such as weather delays, air traffic control delays, some delays as a result of mechanical problems and emergencies, and for some operational or other reasons when quieter aircraft were used.