Change to Brisbane Airport flights to reduce noise impact for residents

Changes will be made to flight operations at Brisbane Airport to provide some relief for city residents impacted by aircraft noise - now there’s a renewed push for a night-time curfew and flight caps.

More flights will simultaneously take off and land over Moreton Bay. File picture

There has been a major win for residents affected by Brisbane Airport noise dramas, with a new move set to drastically reduce the number of flights causing concerns.

However, critics of the airport and existing flight path operations say the changes do not go far enough.

Air Services Australia on Wednesday announced an increase in the use of Simultaneous Opposite Direction Parallel Runway Operations (SODPROPS) at Brisbane Airport starting on November 28.

SODPROPS is a runway mode enabling aircraft to arrive and depart Brisbane Airport over Moreton Bay – which means less noise concern for residents living under alternative flight paths.

With these changes, SODPROPS will become the priority operating mode when traffic and weather allow, resulting in increased use on weekends, and on weeknights from 9pm.

The move effectively increases the use of the SODPROPS operating model from two to five per cent of total flights.

Brisbane Flight Path Community Alliance spokesman Professor Marcus Foth. Picture: Tara Croser.

Airservices Head of Community Engagement, Donna Marshall, said aircraft on the departure flight paths used during SODPROPS will remain over water for longer and will be higher before they cross the coastline, resulting in lower noise levels for communities.

“The flight path changes being delivered are part of the measures outlined in Airservices Noise Action Plan for Brisbane and consistent with the Ministerial Direction issued to Airservices in September,” she said.

“They will support an increase in SODPROPS use from the current 2 per cent of all operations to around five per cent in 2025.”

It will see a reduction in the number of residents sitting beneath flights by between 300,000 to 500,000 people compared to standard parallel runway operations.

The changes are a result of extensive consultation with the people of Brisbane and respond to Redlands community concerns about aircraft noise impacts.

Under the changes, the height of aircraft operations over the Redlands area would increase from 8000 feet to above 12000 feet to reduce the noise impact.

Greens MP Elizabeth Watson-Brown. Picture Lachie Millard

Brisbane-based Greens MP Elizabeth Watson-Brown said pressure from her party and the community had secured the flight path changes but vowed to continue the fight for a night-time curfew and flight cap at the airport.

“This is the first real noise reduction measure implemented by the (federal) Transport Minister (Catherine King) since the opening of Brisbane’s second runway (in 2020),” said Ms Watson-Brown, the Member for Ryan and Greens transport spokesperson.

“We know that community pressure works. Now our job is to keep it up and fight for long term noise reduction measures like a nighttime curfew and cap on flights.

“Airservices also indicated at the recent Senate inquiry hearing that further changes will be made to enable greater use of SODPROPs next year. The Greens and the flight noise-affected community in Brisbane will hold them to that.”

However, the move has been criticised by the Brisbane Flight Path Community Alliance, which has waged a long-running campaign to reduce noise for those around the airport and flight paths.

Group spokesperson Professor Marcus Foth said the move was a “watered down” version of an earlier directive from Federal Transport Minister Catherine King to Air Services Australia about Brisbane flight noise.

He said SODPROPS should be the preferred option “24/7” instead of just on weekends and late at night when “conditions allow”.

Brisbane Airport CEO Gert-Jan de Graff said the facility was “committed” to reducing aircraft noise.

“Brisbane Airport welcomes these changes and has long advocated for a greater use of SODPROPS, to reduce noise impacts for Brisbane residents,” he said.

“Each additional aircraft taking off or landing over the waters of Moreton Bay means fewer aircraft operating over neighbouring suburbs.

“Brisbane Airport is committed to working with our local community, Airservices Australia, airlines, safety regulators and aircraft manufacturers with the common purpose and commitment to minimise noise while still delivering the social and economic benefits aviation provides Queenslanders.”

Originally published as Change to Brisbane Airport flights to reduce noise impact for residents