Spike in low flying passenger jets over Sydney’s west, Blue Mountains sparks outrage

A growing number of low-flying planes rumbling overhead of homes in Western Sydney and the Blue Mountains has residents convinced they are being “secretly desensitised” to aircraft noise before the 24-hour Western Sydney Airport opens.

The growing number of low-flying planes – rumbling overhead of homes in Western Sydney and the Blue Mountains – has residents convinced they are being “secretly desensitised” to aircraft noise before the 24-hour Western Sydney Airport opens.

New data has revealed the number of commercial domestic and international planes flying at altitudes below 14,000 feet have almost doubled in the past two years.

Airservices Australia aircraft data confirms a total of 352 flights were recorded at altitudes below 14,000 feet across Penrith and the Blue Mountains in July 2022.

While that figure rose to 648 throughout the month of July this year.

A Qantas commercial passenger jet plane. Picture: Brendan Radke

The dataset revealed 162 commercial aircraft were recorded as flying over Penrith – more than 60km away from Sydney Airport – at 12,000 feet, while a further 61 domestic and international flights were clocked over the western Sydney community at just 10,000 feet.

Several commercial aircraft were also recorded at altitudes between 3000 and 1000 feet above the ground.

Meanwhile, multiple early-morning flights, tracked on flight radars this month, reported a domestic 737 flying over western Sydney at just 1700 feet. Just minutes later, an international flight from Sydney to Singapore was recorded at the same Penrith location at 2125 feet above the ground.

Western Sydney resident Ken Mott analysed the number of flights and average altitudes over two weeks in September, finding just two of the 437 flights recorded over the suburb of St Clair were tracked above 15,000 ft.

Mr Mott found the average altitude of flights was 11,219 ft.

Blue Mountains local Peter Dollin, who is also a campaigner for Residents Against Western Sydney Airport, said dozens of locals across the Blue Mountains and Penrith had raised concerns over the increasing number of low-flying commercial aircraft.

“We are witnessing first had an increase in the number of aircraft at low altitudes over Western Sydney,” He told the Sunday Telegraph. “The numbers have increased steadily over several years, and you have to ask why?”

Peter Dollin. Picture Thomas Lisson

Mr Dollin said he had been inundated with concerns from communities across the Blue Mountains.

“People are very aware of these increases in low-flying commercial planes,” he said. “And they are convinced this is in preparation for the 24-hour Airport set to open at Badgerys Creek.”

Returning Blue Mountains mayor, Mark Greenhill, told The Sunday Telegraph an increasing number of residents had raised concerns over a spike in low-flying aircraft over his community.

St Clair and Luddenham residents slam Western Sydney Airport planning process

Western Sydney business leaders call on PM Anthony Albanese to step in and reboot aerotropolis

“It has been obvious for quite some time that were are seeing more low-flying domestic and international aircraft over the Blue Mountains,” he said. “This cannot be a coincidence that we are less than two years away from a 24-hour airport opening on our doorstep.”

Cr Greenhill said he and hundreds of residents across the city’s western suburbs and Blue Mountains were convinced they were being “desensitised and softened up to the noise of low-flying planes”, before Western Sydney Airport opens.

Blue Mountains City Mayor Mark Greenhill

“When you see the data and can see and hear it first hand in the early hours of the morning and late at night, all while knowing the airport is set to open in less than two years, it is hard not to connect these two growing issues,” he said.

“We have written to the government multiple times, questioning the altitudes of commercial plans that we are seeing, but they tell us flight paths have not changed.”

An Airservices Australia spokesman said the agency could confirm flight movements in Western Sydney have increased since 2022 – blaming the increase on a resurgence in domestic and international travel following Covid lockdowns.

Members of the Residents Against Western Sydney Airport (RAWSA) action group converge on the gates to the Blue Mountains National Park to let tourists know their gripes

“Airservices reports there have been no altitude or flight path changes in Western Sydney over the past two years,” the spokesman said.

“Regardless of the number of movements, altitudes are based on operational requirements, and these have not changed.”

Data shows there were 300,104 total aircraft movements at Sydney Airport in 2023-24, almost double the 159,043 seen in 2021-22.

The Federal Infrastructure Department did not respond to questions relating to residents concerns relating to the increase in low-flying planes being used to prepare the community for Western Sydney Airport flight paths. 

Originally published as Spike in low flying passenger jets over Sydney’s west, Blue Mountains sparks outrage