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Transport Minister Catherine King has told Airservices to prioritise the use of Simultaneous Opposite Direction Parallel Runway Operations (SODPROPS) to reduce aircraft noise near Brisbane Airport.
The minister has directed Airservices to develop procedures to increase SODPROPS when weather and other conditions permit, thus allowing more aircraft to be routed over Moreton Bay and away from populated areas.
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SODPROPS involves aircraft being able to land on one parallel runway as other aircraft take off on the other parallel runway, thus helping to abate noise and more efficiently coordinate plane movements.
A Noise Action Plan for Brisbane Airport was released by Airservices in June, which included increasing the use of SODPROPS and routing more flights over the water.
“I understand that aircraft noise is a source of frustration for communities living under the flight paths around the Airport,” Minister King said.
“Ultimately, this [direction] will mean more flights over the water and fewer flights over communities. The direction also includes reporting requirements to enhance transparency for the community.
“These actions will build on the progress Airservices has already made to improve aircraft noise outcomes for the Brisbane community as part of the Action Plan.”
Brisbane Airport CEO Gert-Jan de Graaff said the airport has “long advocated for a greater use of SODPROPS, to reduce noise impacts for Brisbane residents”.
“Each additional aircraft taking off or landing over the waters of Moreton Bay means fewer aircraft operating over neighbouring suburbs.
“We look forward to Airservices Australia building more capacity within its tower so this mode can be operated to a greater extent.
“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.”
A spokesperson for Airservices said the air traffic management body welcomes the direction to be implemented by 30 November, saying it “replicates one of the recommendations of our Noise Action Plan for Brisbane”.
“When operating in SODPROPS mode, flights landing in Brisbane approach from over the bay, while those departing take off over the bay, reducing the impact on residents. We estimate that 300,000 to 500,000 Brisbane residents will experience reduced impacts from aircraft movements compared to other runway modes,” the spokesperson said.
“Airservices is well advanced on the work required to enable greater use of SODPROPS during daytime hours as a priority where conditions allow operation of this mode, in time to meet the schedule set out in the Minister’s Direction.
“Our operating plan to deliver increased use of SODPROPs at Brisbane Airport includes measures to progressively reduce both transiting RPT and non-RPT traffic in the Brisbane Terminal Area during the use of SODPROPS. The plan does not include any changes to tower staffing levels, and current tower capacity is not a constraint on SODPROPS usage.”
Noise issues have been a flashpoint at Brisbane Airport since the completion of its new parallel runway in July 2020, which allowed more flight paths to open up, but affected nearby communities in the process.
There were various calls – including from the Greens – for caps and curfews, though owners of Brisbane Airport Corporation pointed to a potential $1 billion annual cost to the city’s economy. Others, including BAC, supported more flights being routed over Moreton Bay.
The airport last year had a breakthrough when Singapore Airlines, Emirates and Cathay Pacific agreed to fly in tailwinds of up to seven knots at the airport, allowing more nighttime flights over Moreton Bay rather than populated areas.
The Brisbane Flight Path Community Alliance (BFPCA), which has long been a critic of noise at Brisbane Airport, has “cautiously welcomed” the Minister’s direction, though its chairperson, Professor Marcus Foth, said it was a “watered-down version of her original promise to reinstate SODPROPS as the preferred 24/7 operation mode at Brisbane Airport”.
“The original 2006 MDP/EIS clearly stated that SODPROPS was to be the preferred mode for operations, as it offers the greatest noise abatement. Instead of fully reinstating this mode, the Minister is merely asking Airservices to please try and extend its use, which we believe will have limited impact given operational constraints,” he said.
“Recent data shows that daytime SODPROPS operations are virtually non-existent. In August 2024, only one daytime SODPROPS flight was recorded out of 16,000+ total flights, with the majority of flights being routed over people’s homes. This is not good enough. Brisbane deserves better.”
Airservices has been contacted for comment.
allister polkinghorne
says:The Brisbane STARs are already a shambles that compromise safety. Further rejigging other than to simplify the STARs is a retrograde safety step.