Brisbane Airport launches inquiry into Qatar flight takeoff on new runway after curfew

Brisbane Airport has launched an investigation into a Qatar passenger flight taking off from the city’s new runway after a 10pm curfew, contravening a noise abatement policy.

A Jetstar plane flying over Hamilton Hill heading towards Brisbane Airport. PHOTO: Mark Cranitch.

Brisbane Airport has launched an investigation into a Qatar flight taking off from the city’s new runway after a 10pm deadline, contravening a noise abatement policy.

The airport issued an apology to residents on its social media accounts saying it had launched the inquiry into the incident which occurred at 11.02pm on Thursday.

No aircraft is permitted to take off on the city’s new runway after 10pm under rules introduced by the airport in July 2020 when the new runway opened.

The incident did not breach any safety standards and the Civil Aviation Safety Authority was not required to be informed.

Residents in suburbs near the new runway, including Hamilton, Ascot and parts of New Farm, heard the flight and lodged complaints.

A Brisbane Airport spokesman said the investigation would ensure future “checks and balances” were in place to ensure no future late-night takes offs on that runway.

“We sincerely apologise,” the statement said.

“The noise abatement procedures for the new runway require that it be used for flights over the city after 10pm only in exceptional circumstances.

“There were no exceptional circumstances so it should not have happened.

“We are investigating why and will take whatever steps are necessary.”

COP OUT: Brisbane Flight Path Community Alliance spokesman Marcus Foth said the apology was adding insult to injury.

Brisbane Flight Path Community Alliance acting chair Marcus Foth said the apology was a cop out and was out of proportion to the magnitude of the noise pollution affecting thousands of families in 169 suburbs.

“The apology is adding insult to injury,” he said.

“This is an apology for one flight – but what about apologising for the thousands of others that have plagued residents for more than two years?

“People are angry because, once again, they have been misled with promises that there would not be flights after a certain hour on that runway.

“The worst part about this apology is that flights can still take off at that hour on the other runway.”

Plans to re-route thousands of flights across Moreton Bay waters to reduce noise pollution in Brisbane prompted criticism from bayside communities last month.

An independent report into Brisbane’s new parallel runway’s flight paths recommended increasing flights over the bay starting next year in a bid to cut noise over Brisbane.

Airservices Australia commissioned the review, released this week, showing complaints and concerns from 169 suburbs, including in Redland and on the bay islands.

The grievances prompted the three new Brisbane-based Greens MPs to call for a reworking of the flight paths to limit noise over inner-city suburbs.

An Airservices spokesperson said no decisions on changes to flight paths had been made or would proceed without community consultation.

Mr Foth said the solution was satellite navigation, used in New South Wales and Sydney, which guided aircraft along paths that were not over houses.

Originally published as Brisbane Airport launches inquiry into Qatar flight takeoff on new runway after curfew