From sunset to sunrise: the teams powering YVR’s North Runway Program

Every night at YVR a transformation takes place on the airfield. As the airport shifts from day to nighttime operations, crews move in to carry out critical upgrades as part of the North Runway Program. 

In our latest episode of the North Runway video series, learn more about our airfield operations and how teams work each day to ensure safety and security during construction and a successful return to service each day. 

The work is highly complex, stretching across a vast footprint and requiring precise coordination. Preparation has been years in the making, and every evening the airfield becomes a thoughtfully orchestrated construction site. 

To ensure a safe and timely return to service, planning begins well before sundown. Each day includes a series of meetings to determine whether the night’s shift is a “go” or “no-go,” weighing weather conditions, staffing, and scope of work. Throughout the shift, check-ins keep every element of the project on track. 

By dawn, the airfield is inspected in detail by our Airfield Safety Officers who are checking for foreign object debris, verifying lighting and ensuring nothing can interfere with aircraft before returning the runway to service for the day. 

Stay tuned for more videos in the series as we continue this important work to support the safe, efficient movement of people and goods across our region. Be sure to visit the Major Projects page of our Newsroom to subscribe to our bi-monthly newsletter and view other videos about how we’re delivering this important program: news.yvr.ca/north-runway-modernization-program.