What determines the use of runways in Montréal-Trudeau?
The use of runways is dictated first and foremost by flight safety considerations, and particularly by weather conditions. Planes notably have to land and take off against the wind. Operating conditions (runway length, aircraft type, air traffic, etc.) are also very important. The temporary closing of a runway, for example for repair work, can also have the effect of concentrating traffic on the airport’s other two runways, thus changing the noise contours. Finally, there exists a priority runway system for night operations.
