Airspace changes mean changes to flight paths, could alter noise patterns

The preliminary flight paths for the new airport, released in June, revealed houses near Greendale, Luddenham and Twin Creeks would be hit the hardest by noise from the curfew-free Western Sydney Airport at Badgerys Creek, about 45 kilometres from the Sydney CBD.

By 2033, the new airport is expected to handle 10 million passengers and about 81,000 aircraft movements each year. Sydney Airport now handles around 44 million passengers each year and more than 300,000 movements.

Loading

The government released an online tool that allows residents to plug in their addresses to see how their homes will be disrupted by noise from aircraft flying to and from the $5.3 billion airport. The tool does not show the flow-on effect for the surrounding airports, or those who live around them who could face different aircraft noise patterns as a result.

The sound of a single-aisle Airbus A320 or Boeing 737 aircraft at 3000 feet is about 70 decibels, which is the equivalent of the sound of a washing machine. At 1000 feet, those aircraft reach 90 decibels, which is like the sound of a food blender.

The chief of the Australian Airports Association James Goodwin said the government should have provided more time to the existing airports to process the implications for their surrounding suburbs and more thought should have been given to how the new airport would co-exist with the larger ecosystem.

“There’s been a lot of focus on the impact the new airport will have on those who live in western Sydney, but the trickle-down effect means consultation with those who live in the rest of the Sydney Basin could be restricted through no fault of the three other airports,” Goodwin said.

When Brisbane Airport announced it was to erect a third runway, the nearby residents were given 10 years to consult about the development. If there are extensive changes to the existing flight paths within the Sydney Basin, the airports will have less than two years of consultation before Western Sydney’s scheduled opening.

A spokesperson for Sydney Airport said the organisation was yet to be notified of how its operations would be affected by Western Sydney International Airport when it opens.

“We need to understand what those changes will mean, and what technology is being proposed to reduce noise and emissions,” the Sydney Airport spokesperson said.

Aeria Management Group – which controls Bankstown and Camden airports and oversees the training of about 600 pilots each year – said the evolving airspace design and flight paths for Western Sydney International Airport would likely disrupt its training programs as there will be less available airspace.

Loading

“Amid a global pilot shortage, pilot training services at Bankstown Airport and Camden Airport are more vital than ever to Australia’s air industry,” the Aeria spokesperson said.

“We look forward to further discussions with the department concerning the need for compensation or additional funding for our Greater Sydney metro airports and operators to ensure the continued viability of pilot training schools and essential general aviation services.”

The preliminary flight paths for the new airport, released in June, revealed houses near Greendale, Luddenham and Twin Creeks would be hit the hardest by noise from the curfew-free Western Sydney Airport at Badgerys Creek, about 45 kilometres from the Sydney CBD.

By 2033, the new airport is expected to handle 10 million passengers and about 81,000 aircraft movements each year. Sydney Airport now handles around 44 million passengers each year and more than 300,000 movements.

Loading

The government released an online tool that allows residents to plug in their addresses to see how their homes will be disrupted by noise from aircraft flying to and from the $5.3 billion airport. The tool does not show the flow-on effect for the surrounding airports, or those who live around them who could face different aircraft noise patterns as a result.

The sound of a single-aisle Airbus A320 or Boeing 737 aircraft at 3000 feet is about 70 decibels, which is the equivalent of the sound of a washing machine. At 1000 feet, those aircraft reach 90 decibels, which is like the sound of a food blender.

The chief of the Australian Airports Association James Goodwin said the government should have provided more time to the existing airports to process the implications for their surrounding suburbs and more thought should have been given to how the new airport would co-exist with the larger ecosystem.

“There’s been a lot of focus on the impact the new airport will have on those who live in western Sydney, but the trickle-down effect means consultation with those who live in the rest of the Sydney Basin could be restricted through no fault of the three other airports,” Goodwin said.

When Brisbane Airport announced it was to erect a third runway, the nearby residents were given 10 years to consult about the development. If there are extensive changes to the existing flight paths within the Sydney Basin, the airports will have less than two years of consultation before Western Sydney’s scheduled opening.

A spokesperson for Sydney Airport said the organisation was yet to be notified of how its operations would be affected by Western Sydney International Airport when it opens.

“We need to understand what those changes will mean, and what technology is being proposed to reduce noise and emissions,” the Sydney Airport spokesperson said.

Aeria Management Group – which controls Bankstown and Camden airports and oversees the training of about 600 pilots each year – said the evolving airspace design and flight paths for Western Sydney International Airport would likely disrupt its training programs as there will be less available airspace.

Loading

“Amid a global pilot shortage, pilot training services at Bankstown Airport and Camden Airport are more vital than ever to Australia’s air industry,” the Aeria spokesperson said.

“We look forward to further discussions with the department concerning the need for compensation or additional funding for our Greater Sydney metro airports and operators to ensure the continued viability of pilot training schools and essential general aviation services.”