In 2007 approval was granted for Australia's Brisbane Airport (BNE) to build a second runway, and construction commenced in 2012. More than a decade later and three years after the parallel runway opened, the talkfest around flight paths, noise reduction and the essential curfew-free operation is set to roll on into 2023.

The runway is a success

Brisbane Airport new parallel runway has noise issues
Photo: Brisbane Airport Corporation. 

Thankfully, what's not in dispute is the need for the second runway and the fact that it was delivered on time to meet traffic projections at Australia's fastest-growing airport. The 3.3 kilometer (2.1 miles) runway and 12 kilometers (7.5 miles) of associated taxiways cost around AU$1.1 billion ($755 billion) and were opened in July 2020, just as COVID-19 put most of Australia's aircraft firmly in the parking lot.

Yesterday, Airservices Australia (Airservices), which manages the nation's airspace, released its Brisbane New Parallel Runway Flight Paths Post Implementation Review Final Report. However, the process is anything but finalized, with the document detailing priorities running until the fourth quarter of 2023, including more community engagement and public consultation.

Somewhat stoically, the airport's head of public affairs, Stephen Beckett, said yesterday that the airport recognizes the benefits of the airport are shared across Queensland, "but the impact of our operations are felt by some residents in Brisbane suburbs."

"This report contains a large number of meaningful changes with the potential to reduce flight impacts in Brisbane. We look forward to working collaboratively with Airservices Australia, the community and our industry partners to achieve sustainable long-term solutions."

When the second runway was opened, new flight paths were introduced to accommodate the new parallel operations. The changes meant the existing runway closest to the bay would cater to aircraft traveling to and from the south and east, while the new runway would handle those from the north and west. This changed the flight path patterns, drawing the ire of some sections of the community not used to having aircraft overhead. Brisbane Airport is on the coast, so the priority solution, particularly at night, is to maximize the number of flights that arrive and depart over water.

Brisbane needs a 24/7 airport

Qatar Airways at gate Brisbane Airport (BNE)
Photo: Brisbane Airport 

In response to community calls for imposing a night curfew, both the airport and Virgin Australia (VA), which has its fleet of Boeing 737s based there, made strident arguments about why that is not the answer. Speaking about the proposed curfew in September, VA CEO Jayne Hrdlicka said that curfews and capacity caps would push the cost of tickets out of reach financially for "a lot of people and have a huge impact on the community." She explained:

"The challenge is that if you reduce the capacity that's available out of an airport, then you reduce the amount of supply in and out of that airport, and that means prices are going to go up because there won't be enough supply to meet the demand."

In September, Airservices held nine community workshops attended by 232 people from 88 Brisbane suburbs. It released a draft report in October and received 450 written submissions, including a petition signed by 1,284 community members. Summarised in the final report, the feedback shows that community sentiment is often divided. For example, keeping aircraft over water for longer was supported by communities close to the airport but not those from the bayside suburbs.

What does the industry think?

Virgin Australia Boeing 737
Photo: Virgin Australia

The main industry players, Brisbane Airport Corporation, Virgin Australia and Qantas, also made submissions, which included:

  • Consideration of safety and the balance between environmental outcomes and community needs
  • Potential delays and additional track miles due to Simultaneous Opposite Direction Parallel Runway Operations (SODPROPS) that would see aircraft arrive and depart over Moreton Bay
  • Opportunities to review flight paths to reduce track miles and the associated fuel burn and carbon emissions

Airservices listed various Next Step priorities, some of which involved collecting more information and community engagement. Some of its ten priorities included developing proposals to increase height and overwater operations for SODPROPS departures, reducing the impact of overnight operations and options to increase overwater departures during the day. Unfortunately, the list of priorities is not expected to be fully completed until the last three months of 2023.

How do airports cater for growth, add capacity and meet community concerns? Please share your thoughts in the comments.