PM rules out curfew on Brisbane flights

BRISBANE'S skies will become even busier in the coming decades with predictions peak hour aircraft traffic will almost double.

BRISBANE'S skies will become even busier in the coming decades with predictions peak hour aircraft traffic will almost double.

A new Federal Government report reveals Brisbane is expected to become the nation's fastest growing major airport as passenger numbers increase from 18.8 million travellers to 51.2 million travellers within 20 years.

The number of planes passing through Brisbane Airport will also grow dramatically.

There were 183,700 aircraft movements through Brisbane Airport last financial year and that was tipped to rise to 346,000 by 2029-30.

The report predicted the increased activity would mean aircraft traffic between 8am and 9am - Brisbane's morning peak hour - would jump from 36 planes to 71 planes by 2029-30.

Evening peak hour traffic between 6pm and 7pm would double from 33 planes an hour to 66 planes.

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has ruled out a promised investigation of a curfew at the airport until 2012, despite campaigning heavily on aircraft noise while in Opposition.

Mr Rudd battled against the airport's planned $1 billion second runway and vowed he would push for an inquiry into a curfew and to keep up the fight from the Lodge.

Brisbane Airport Corporation has defended the need for 24-hour operations and said it already had plans in place to mitigate noise, including directing flights over Moreton Bay.

A Senate inquiry is currently examining the effectiveness of Airservices Australia's management of aircraft noise.

Transport Minister Anthony Albanese, who released the report yesterday, said airports needed to plan for the surge in traffic.

"Despite the global recession, the growth in the popularity of air travel is likely to quickly return to strong historic levels," he said.

The report found aircraft on Brisbane routes were typically "full", with 80 per cent seat utilisation on routes between capital cities, 73 per cent on international flights and 72 per cent on regional routes.