Airservices Australia calls for community feedback on Ballina Byron Gateway Airport flight path changes
Northern Rivers residents have been asked to weigh in on flagged Ballina Byron Gateway Airport flight path changes as air traffic spikes.
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Northern Rivers residents have been asked to weigh in on flagged Ballina Byron Gateway Airport flight path changes.
Airservices Australia has invited the community to speak up and states design changes are aimed at “safely accommodating the continued growth of air traffic in the region”.
Ballina’s “enhanced” air traffic services will begin in 2025 “following a 2022 airspace review by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA), which included extensive industry feedback”.
“The region will soon transition from the current uncontrolled airspace – where pilots self-separate using information provided by Airservices’ air traffic control – to controlled airspace,” Airservices Australia states.
“This will see all aircraft movements directed by Airservices’ highly skilled air traffic controllers via an approach control and aerodrome control service.
The aviation body said the move followed “extensive community and industry feedback”.
Residents have been advised of “a change in aircraft operations around Ballina, Alstonville and surrounding areas”.
Currently, the airport does not have an air traffic control tower and is one of the busiest airports in Australia without one.
Following the review, both CASA and Airservices recommended separating traffic frequencies (used for pilot communication to make sure aircraft do not collide) between Ballina and other airports including Lismore, Casino and Evans Head.
Residents can provide feedback until December 22 and flight paths are set to be “finalised for implementation in 2025”.
Airservices Australia will seek feedback at seven community engagement sessions between Tuesday, November 19 and Thursday, November 28.
The organisation states it has a “commitment to fostering sustainable aviation growth while ensuring our airspace design enables the safe, efficient and orderly flow of air traffic”.
A statement pointed to a modernisation program “enhancing the safety and efficiency of Australia’s airspace at major regional airports and improving accessibility to these locations for the aviation industry”.
Changes include the airport introducing published flight paths for arrivals and departures called Standard Instrument Departures (SIDs) and Standard Instrument Arrivals (STARs).
The SIDs and STARs were described as “roads in the sky which aircraft follow, resulting in a more efficient flow of traffic”.
Ballina Byron Gateway Airport manager Julie Stewart said the changes represented “an important air safety enhancement”.
Donna Marshall, Airservices Australia’s head of community engagement, said her organisation was committed to community collaboration to help shape designs.
“Where possible, we have designed flight paths to mirror current aircraft movements. We have also sought to minimise the impact of aircraft operations on communities, where safe and practicable,” she said.
“We have genuinely considered all community perspectives, have made several changes to the preliminary design based on this feedback, and we look forward to further discussing these preferred design options.
“Airservices never compromises on safety, which is our number one remit no matter the location across Australia.
“We remain committed to supporting the safe growth of regional aviation and ease of access at major regional airports such as Ballina Byron Gateway Airport.”
The proposed arrival path has been moved east to track closer to the M1 alignment between Tintenbar, Teven and Cumbalum to reduce impacts, project documents state.
The path is shorter and the minimal altitude north of Tintenbar is reduced from 7000 to 6000 feet.
A right turn after aircraft cross the coastline has been widened to address airline feedback. It’s expected this may reduce noise heard by the Lennox Head community.
Additional minimum altitude requirements have been added to keep aircraft safely separated, the documents state.
The preferred Ballina airspace and flight path design options can be viewed online.
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