Airspace
NAV CANADA is the air navigation service provider for all of Canada. Their role is to provide air traffic control services and operate and maintain air navigation aids and equipment to ensure safe and efficient movement of aircraft. They are also responsible for designing and publishing 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 around 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.
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.
NAV CANADA is the country’s air navigation service provider and manages Canada’s civil airspace.
Through the Vancouver Airspace Modernization Project (VAMP), NAV CANADA implemented changes to arrival procedures at YVR. Designed to enhance safety and modernize the airspace, changes affect flight paths used by arriving aircraft over various areas across Metro Vancouver.
The Project also introduced 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 did not change how YVR’s runways are used, how flight paths are used by departing aircraft, or routes used by small aircraft operating from other airports in the region.
The updated arrival flight paths were 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 went into effect in November 2025, with the RNP procedures implemented in spring 2026.
Per NAV CANADA’s standard protocols, a 180-day post implementation review is currently underway, following the full implementation of all procedures in spring 2026.Once finalized, the review 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.