Brisbane aircraft noise complaints forces flight path changes

Brisbane looks to redraw flight paths last changed in 2020

Noise issues are threatening to blow a hole in Brisbane Airports' second runway expansion. After investing more than $750 million and eight years in building a second runway, Brisbane Airport is under siege over flight paths and noise abatement issues. Unsurprisingly with an Australian federal election imminent, the issue has become political.

When international capacity was at its peak in 2019, Australian airport capacity was at a breaking point.
The biggest hub, Sydney (SYD), was full and heavily constrained by a 2300-0600 curfew and while curfew-free Melbourne (MEL) was nearing capacity in peak times.

Brisbane Airport (BNE), which is curfew free, seized the opportunity to attract more international traffic by adding a second, parallel runway.

With both domestic and international traffic quickly picking up, resident groups and local politicians are demanding change, in some cases calling for a night-time curfew and hourly capacity caps. The airport is the home base of Virgin Australia and an essential hub for Qantas and regional carrier Alliance Airlines, so action on the noise issue is vital. Australia's air traffic management is the responsibility of Airservices Australia (Airservices) and is responsible for flight paths and noise abatement issues.

Simple Flying contacted Airservices Australia for comment, and their spokesperson told us today,

"Airservices is working with all stakeholders, including industry and the community, to pursue all opportunities to minimize aircraft noise in communities under Brisbane Airport flight paths. We are considering all improvement opportunities outlined in the Trax International Interim report, noting that the identified opportunities range from those that can be readily progressed in the immediate/near term, to those that are complex and will require significant stakeholder consultation and safety analysis."

Brisbane airport is located on the coast, so the priority is to maximize the number of flights that arrive and depart simultaneously over water, rather than overflying communities in the city and surrounding suburbs.

While it is the most affected party, the airport is limited in what it can do while the review is in progress. Speaking about its position, a Brisbane Airport Corporation (BAC) spokesperson told Simple Flying,

"The Trax International interim report to Airservices Australia recommended a number of initiatives Airservices could investigate and implement, including flight path optimization. BAC will support the investigation of all initiatives outlined in the Trax International report."
What is creating pressure is that commentators and politicians have rebranded the recommendations as a done deal, with the local MP Trevor Evans declaring:

"Brisbane's flight paths are to be ripped up and redrawn. In addition to the redrawing of Brisbane's flight path, we will see the redesign of the airspace around Brisbane airport."

Brisbane is the gateway to Australia's tourist mecca, the Gold Coast and the connecting point for the world-renowned Great Barrier Reef. In these times, it needs to listen to what the local community is telling them.


The below is my own opinion 
I seriously can't believe that people have nothing better to do than complain about aircraft noise. 

There are families saying goodbye to loved ones as they pass away from Corona Virus. Last month Brisbane experienced severe floods and many people have lost their homes and have absolutely no where to live. Yet these pathetic fully grown adults complain about aircraft noise. But what would be the first thing they do when they go on holidays??? Book a flight on an aircraft. 

These people need to take a good long hard look at themselves and seriously think... this is what my adult life has become.





Story sourced from here
Brisbane Looks To Redraw Flight Paths Last Changed In 2020 (simpleflying.com)