‘Complete nightmare’: More flights over bay, but residents fight on

More than 800 planes have been redirected over Moreton Bay - a 30 per cent increase - in a bid to reduce airport noise from Brisbane’s second runway. But not all are happy.

More than 800 planes have been redirected over Moreton Bay in a bid to reduce airport noise from Brisbane’s second runway.

It is a 30 per cent increase in flights sent over the bay, as the airport and Airservices Australia try to keep the peace.

The number of complaints to the airport has dropped, despite an 81 per cent increase in flights as international travel takes off again.

The number of flights redirected over Moreton Bay have increased. NewsWire / Sarah Marshall

But Brisbane Flight Path Community Alliance chair Marcus Foth said the problem had become worse, saying Christmas had been “a complete nightmare”, and is calling for even more flights to be directed over the bay as a priority.

Airport noise has been an issue for residents in suburbs including Ascot, Hendra, Hamilton, New Farm, Teneriffe, Bulimba, Samford Valley and Brookfield, since the opening of the second runway in July 2020.

Airservices Australia data shows that there were 3664 flights directed over Moreton Bay from July 9 to November 9 last year, an increase of 799 flights from March 9 to July 8.

Brisbane Airport received 811 noise complaints during those months, compared to 783 complaints during the same period in 2021, but 479 of those complaints were from one person which if excluded mean there was an overall reduction.

Brisbane Airport Corporation spokesman Stephen Beckett said he welcomed the rise in “simultaneous opposite direction parallel runway operations, the technical procedure which allows for more flights to be directed over the bay.

“It directs all flights over water and shields communities from the impact of aircraft noise, while still delivering Queensland the significant benefits travel and trade offers,” he said.

Mr Foth said the number of planes going over residents homes had increased as flights were returning to pre-Covid levels.

Marcus Foth rallying outside Brisbane Airport Corporation against flight noise. Picture: Tara Croser.

“SODPROPS is rarely used on weekends and has made absolutely zero difference, actually it has got worse on weekends as the number of early and late international flights have picked up substantially in the last few months as we have witnessed,” he said.

“Christmas period has been a complete nightmare with increased domestic flights as well.”

An Airservices Australia spokeswoman said there were plans to continue to expand the number of flights, both arrivals and departures, over the bay by year’s end, in accordance with the review into airport noise handed down last year.

“The trial reflects Airservices’ commitment to improving noise outcomes for the Brisbane community, where safe and operationally feasible,” she said.