Who controls aircraft movements?
Nav Canada, who operates Air Traffic Control (ATC), directs aircraft in Canadian airspace safely to their destinations. All aircraft routes are designed with safety, aircraft spacing and separation as the highest priorities; however, consideration is given to minimize flights over populated areas. Given the location of Toronto Pearson in relation to the surrounding communities, all aircraft routes serving the airport over-fly residential areas. Airspace in the vicinity of a major airport is highly restricted and controlled by Nav Canada to avoid conflicts with inbound and outbound air traffic. Wind and weather conditions have an effect on aircraft operations, thus they determine the direction of runways at any airport. For operational and safety reasons, aircraft are required to land and take off into the wind. ATC selects the direction of aircraft operations based on a number of factors, including the current wind speed and direction at the airfield, both on the ground and in the air;
