Steve Robinson

More Flights over Grand Canyon Proposed

Tourists can find plenty of cheap airplane tickets and discount hotel rooms for travel to the Grand Canyon.  Now the National Park Service is making such trips all the more attractive by proposing an increase in the number of plane tours over the Grand Canyon.

The Park Service is recommending permitting 8,000 more flights annually over the Grand Canyon for a total of 65,000.  It wants the maximum number of daily air tours to be 364 which would be an increase of 50 from the current rule. 

The Park Service claims that it can reduce noise from low flying planes over the canyon by rerouting transport flights and any planes not carrying tourists so that they will not fly directly over the canyon.  The agency wants all aircraft flying over the canyon to convert to quiet technology over the next 10 years.

The objective is to restore the natural soundscape of the canyon that includes the wind passing through the pine trees and the roar of the Colorado River.

Almost 5 million tourists visit the Grand Canyon annually, with tour agencies selling popular helicopter and airplane rides over the park.

Hikers and tourists at ground level have complained that aircraft noise interferes with the sense of solitude and overall natural vibe of the canyon.

Article Tags: More Flights, Grand Canyon

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