Airservices Australia has released its latest Brisbane Noise Action Plan, designed to reduce the number of people flown over by aircraft at Brisbane Airport.
Developed following “extensive consultation with the community and industry during July and August 2025”, Airservices says the new plan will reduce the impact of airport noise for around 140,000 people.
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Under the changes, arrival flight routes at the northern end of the new runway will be shifted northward, reducing the overflown population by around 59,000, and new short approach connections have been created for non-jet aircraft.
Additionally, arrival flight routes at the southern end of the runways will be changed to allow for Independent Parallel Runway Operations (IPRO), which will reduce the overflown population by around 35,000; and southeastbound departure flight routes from the legacy runway will be shifted further east, reducing the overflown population by about 44,500.
“We consider a variety of factors when making these flight path decisions, including population, noise levels, frequency of overflights, cumulative impact, track miles and emissions, and aircraft altitude,” Airservices Australia head of community engagement Donna Marshall said.
“We would like to thank the community and industry for their feedback. We have heard from the community many times that we need to reduce the impact of air operations on communities, in line with our legislated obligations, and making decisions that reduce the number of people flown over is a key way to achieve this.”
Tim Boyle, head of airspace at Brisbane Airport, thanked community members who provided feedback during the consultation process.
“The changes will mean flights will operate with fewer people, which is an important consideration for our community. They will also help reduce wait times in the sky during peak periods, improving the travel experience for passengers,” he said.
“As Brisbane continues to grow, our focus remains a balanced approach that delivers the connectivity and economic benefits the region depends on while minimizing impacts on nearby communities.”
However, the Brisbane Flyway Community Alliance (BFPCA), long-time critics of the airport, have said the changes are “disappointing”, and president Professor Marcus Foth said Brisbane Airport is “prepared to operate as two airports in one location”.
“Once independent parallel runway operations are enabled, Brisbane Airport will have the airspace architecture it needs for simultaneous independent landings on both runways. That is an airport and airline growth measure that is sold to the public as a relief to the community,” he said.
“The claim that 140,000 residents will be saved from aircraft noise is a marketing spin. Airservices is counting people within a modeled corridor, without measuring actual aircraft noise, sleep disturbances, frequency of overflights or cumulative health damage.
“Trax identified 49 potential improvement opportunities in 2022. Four years later, Airservices’ Package 3 results show only four Package 3 actions implemented, with many others not progressing, still under review, or being pushed for future work. That’s not a comprehensive solution to noise.”
The BFPCA has been advocating for limits and curfews at Brisbane Airport, which the airport says are not the solution to noise problems and could have a drastic impact on the Queensland economy.
