Armchair_Politician wrote on Oct 28
th, 2024 at 9:56am:
The official line is that it is to lessen the impact of aircraft noise on residents. It's utterly ridiculous. The busiest airport in Australia is not being utilised to its fullest extent because of a bunch of NIMBY's who moved INTO the area near the airport complained about the noise of the aircraft taking off and landing. Even after the government spent millions on installing sound-proofing materials in affected homes, they still complained loud enough that politicians capitulated to their demands and kept the curfew.
One of the conditions of the curfew is that any aircraft who are permitted to take off or land during the curfew hours must do so over Botany Bay. I think perhaps the only exceptions are the NSW Ambulance Air Ambulance and other aeromedical flights and emergency landings. But that doesn't guarantee you can do it (over Botany Bay), because it depends on the wind because you can only take off and land INTO the wind - you can't take off or land with the wind behind you as it is too dangerous.
It's time for the curfew to be abolished, it really is.
Indeed.
And this is what many people in Brisbane are annoyed about.
During the planning and construction of Brisbane's second parallel runway residents in many suburbs near the airport were assured by Airservices Australia and Brisbane Airport Corporation that noise impacts would be minimal due to the use of the slightly amusingly named SODPROPS (Simultaneous Opposite Direction Parallel Runway Operations).
The idea behind this was that both runways would be used at the same time, one for takeoffs and the other for landings, with the majority of flights arriving and departing over Moreton Bay at the northeastern end of both runways.
But, because of the wind direction and speed most days only about 3 to 4 percent of flights in and out of Brisbane Airport used SODPROPS with the majority of flights spread out across suburbs close to the airport... many of which never had a noise issue before the new runway opened 4 years ago.
This is where they're up to so far with trying to juggle flights to cause the least disruption and noise (short of imposing flight caps and a curfew, of course).
Major rule change for Brisbane Airport after new 24-hour runway made life hell for 226 suburbs Quote:A new written direction for airport noise relief is set to kick in by the end of November this year.
Transport Minister Catherine King announced a change in the use of simultaneous opposite direction parallel runway operations, known as SODPROPS.
Quote:SODPROPS is a mode of operation which allows planes to take off and descend over water, avoiding flying over communities.
Previously, SODPROPS could only be used during the evening and if strict flying and weather conditions allow, including visibility and rain.
If those environmental factors don't align, air traffic control instead directs jets and planes on a variety of routes over city suburbs.
It is also interesting to note (as I mentioned at the start of this post) that the Aircraft Noise Ombudsman found that Airservices Australia and Brisbane Airport did not provide complete information to Brisbane communities about potential plane noise from the new runway.
Airservices Australia 'failed to engage effectively' with Brisbane residents over changed flight paths, ombudsman says Quote:The national Aircraft Noise Ombudsman has found Airservices Australia did not provide complete information to Brisbane communities about potential plane noise, ahead of changing Brisbane Airport flight paths last year.
Quote:The ombudsman launched a multiple complaint review earlier this year after being inundated with 264 complaints about the number of low-flying planes being directed over inner-city and western suburbs including Bulimba, New Farm and Brookfield.
The ombudsman's report, released on Tuesday, concluded that Airservices Australia "failed to engage effectively with the communities potentially affected by the new flight paths" which was "contrary to best practice for community engagement".
Just goes to show the lengths that airports, airlines (and governments) will go to with their 'economy first, people second' approach these days.
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