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

  • June 20, 2021
    • Weekly Arrivals - The San Carlos Airport currently has an average of 3.5 Scheduled Charter aircraft arrivals per day, with no Saturday arrivals during this period. (calculated from March 1, 2021). Prior to COVID-19, there was an average of 5 Scheduled Charter aircraft arrivals per day with no arrivals on Saturday.  
    • Monthly Arrivals - Also attached is a graph of the previous 3 months of scheduled charter arrivals.
    • Scheduled Charter Week 6-20-2021
    • Scheduled Charter Arrivals 3 months 6-20-2021
  • June 14, 2021
    • Weekly Arrivals - The San Carlos Airport currently has an average of 3.4 Scheduled Charter aircraft arrivals per day, with no Saturday arrivals during this period. (calculated from March 1, 2021). Prior to COVID-19, there was an average of 5 Scheduled Charter aircraft arrivals per day with no arrivals on Saturday.  
    • Monthly Arrivals - Also attached is a graph of the previous 3 months of scheduled charter arrivals
    • Scheduled Charter Week 6-13-2021
    • Scheduled Charter Arrivals 3 months 6-13-2021
  • June 6, 2021
    • Weekly Arrivals - The San Carlos Airport currently has an average of 3.4 Scheduled Charter aircraft arrivals per day, with no Saturday arrivals during this period. (calculated from March 1, 2021). Prior to COVID-19, there was an average of 5 Scheduled Charter aircraft arrivals per day with no arrivals on Saturday.  
    • Monthly Arrivals– Also attached is a graph of the previous 3 months of scheduled charter arrivals.

    • Scheduled Charter Week 6-6-2021

    • Scheduled Charter Arrivals 3 months 6-6-2021


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).