Aircraft Noise

City Council has been actiivley engaged with monitoring aircraft noise and the impacts to residents. Councilmembers have  facilitated and assisted with neighborhood meetings in reaction to these increases caused by the flight path of aircrafts by Surf Air.

Residents and neighbors have noticed increases in noise over areas of Atherton, Redwood City, Menlo Park and Palo Alto. The increased noise is mostly the result of new flights from a startup company called Surf Air that initiated operations into and out of San Carlos Airport in 2013. Surf Air has worked with the community to address the issue. 

The Town will provide regular updates related to the activity at Surf Air and other news and information around aircraft noise. 

Pilatus Plane

Surf Air Updates

  • September 20, 2020 updates:
    • Surf Air Arrivals - Prior to COVID-19, Surf Air averaged 5 arrivals per day to San Carlos Airport with no service on Saturdays. Surf Air’s current average calculated from June 1st, 2020 is 2 arrivals per day with no service on Saturdays, although this week there was 1 Saturday arrival. The attached graphs depict: (1) Surf Air arrivals for last week, and (2) Average Surf Air arrivals for the past 3-months.
    • COVID-19 Impact on Aircraft Arrivals – Also attached is a graph comparing COVID-19 arrivals to arrivals in the same month(s) in 2018 and 2019. 
    • Surf Air Week 9-20-2020
    • Surf Air Arrivals 3 months 9-20-2020
    • SQL Monthly Comparisons
  • September 6, 2020 updates:
    • Surf Air Arrivals - Prior to COVID-19, Surf Air averaged 5 arrivals per day to San Carlos Airport with no service on Saturdays. Surf Air’s current average calculated from June 1st, 2020 is 2 arrivals per day with no service on Saturdays. The attached graphs depict: (1) Surf Air arrivals for last week, and (2) Average Surf Air arrivals for the past 3-months.
    • COVID-19 Impact on Aircraft Arrivals – Also attached is a graph comparing COVID-19 arrivals to arrivals in the same month(s) in 2018 and 2019. 
    • Surf Air Week 9-6-2020
    • Surf Air Arrivals 3 months 9-6-2020
    • SQL Monthly Comparisons
  • August 30, 2020 updates:
    • Surf Air Arrivals - Prior to COVID-19, Surf Air averaged 5 arrivals per day to San Carlos Airport with no service on Saturdays. Surf Air’s current average calculated from May 1st, 2020 is 1.8 arrivals per day with no service on Saturdays. The attached graphs depict: (1) Surf Air arrivals for last week, and (2) Average Surf Air arrivals for the past 3-months.
    • COVID-19 Impact on Aircraft Arrivals – Also attached is a graph comparing COVID-19 arrivals to arrivals in the same month(s) in 2018 and 2019. The total number of arrivals has significantly reduced due to COVID-19. As state and local COVID-19 restrictions are relaxed, arrivals will begin to increase which may cause community concern.
    • Surf Air Week 8-30-2020
    • Surf Air Arrivals 3 months 8-30-2020
    • SQL Monthly Arrivals

Surf Air continues to use transient parking spaces at San Carlos airport.

As it was not approved as a charted approach by the FAA, Surf Air does not fly the Bayside Visual Approach (BVA).