A renewed debate over Brisbane’s southern flight paths is bringing fresh attention to aircraft noise, with aviation authorities and community groups offering different views on the best path forward.
At the centre of the discussion is the departure flight path review, part of Airservices Australia’s ongoing Noise Action Plan for Brisbane. While community group Transparent Skies Network (TSN) believes another route deserves greater consideration, aviation authorities say aircraft noise can only be reduced within the limits of aviation safety, weather and operational requirements.
The debate has become less about whether aircraft noise should be reduced and more about which approach will deliver the best outcome.
Community group wants Gateway Motorway option explained
Transparent Skies Network has renewed calls for Airservices Australia to provide greater transparency around how future departure routes are being assessed.
The group says Airservices Australia’s consultant identified an alternative route following the Gateway Motorway corridor between Minnippi Parklands and the Belmont Rifle Range. According to TSN, directing more aircraft over existing transport corridors and nearby open space could reduce aircraft noise over homes and schools in Brisbane’s eastern suburbs.
TSN is also calling on Airservices Australia to release comparative noise modelling comparing the Gateway Motorway proposal with the option currently under consideration. The group says making that information public would help residents better understand how decisions affecting local communities are made.
The campaign also cites historical radar data showing that aircraft were once dispersed across a wider area before advances in navigation technology concentrated flights along narrower flight paths.
Airservices says changes are already reducing noise over the bayside
While campaigners are calling for additional changes, Airservices Australia says it has already introduced several measures through its Brisbane Noise Action Plan to reduce the impact of aircraft noise where operationally possible.
One of its key initiatives is increasing the use of Simultaneous Opposite Direction Parallel Runway Operations, known as SODPROPS. Under this operating mode, aircraft arrive over Moreton Bay to Brisbane Airport’s western runway while departures leave from the eastern runway over water whenever conditions allow.
According to Airservices Australia’s 2026 progress update, changes introduced in late 2024 aligned over-water departure paths and increased the altitude of aircraft crossing the mainland coastline. The agency says aircraft now cross bayside communities about 4,000 to 5,000 feet higher than before, reducing noise impacts while flying over fewer people.
Airservices says the use of SODPROPS increased from 1.4 per cent of Brisbane Airport flights in 2024 to 2.63 per cent in 2025. It also reports operational improvements have increased its ability to use the system by about 40 per cent when weather conditions are comparable.
The report states that each over-water departure means about 300,000 fewer people are overflown during southerly wind conditions and about 500,000 fewer people during northerly wind conditions compared with standard operations.
Overnight trial is testing another way to reduce aircraft noise
Noise reduction efforts are also continuing through a separate Brisbane Airport initiative.
In December 2025, Brisbane Airport launched an 18-month voluntary tailwind data trial in partnership with Airservices Australia and with support from the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA).
The trial is collecting operational data to determine whether more aircraft can safely use over-water arrival and departure routes during overnight hours between 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. It allows participating pilots to voluntarily operate with tailwinds of up to 10 knots when strict safety and weather conditions are met.
Brisbane Airport says greater use of over-water operations, particularly at night, has the potential to reduce aircraft noise for surrounding communities. The airport also reported that 63 per cent of overnight aircraft movements between 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. had already arrived or departed over water during the six months leading up to the trial.
The second stage of the trial, which includes both arrivals and departures, is now underway and is expected to continue until mid-2027.
Weather and safety still limit over-water operations
Airservices Australia says increasing over-water departures is not simply a matter of selecting a different route.
According to the agency, SODPROPS can only operate when weather, visibility, traffic levels and runway conditions all meet strict safety requirements. During 2025, suitable conditions existed for only 968 of the 4,377 priority operating hours identified for the system. When those conditions were available, Airservices says controllers used SODPROPS about 82 per cent of the time.
The agency says weather remains the biggest factor limiting the use of over-water departures, even though further operational improvements continue to be explored. Flight path design must also account for aircraft performance, interactions with other aircraft, military airspace, airport capacity and national aviation safety standards.
Adding to the discussion
Queensland Senator Paul Scarr recently questioned why aircraft continue to fly over residential neighbourhoods rather than following the Gateway Motorway corridor. In a public statement, he said communities wanted to understand why a route he described as providing the best noise outcome for the greatest number of people had not been adopted.
His comments reflect concerns raised by some residents and community groups seeking greater transparency around the assessment of alternative flight paths.
Aircraft noise has remained a major community issue since Brisbane Airport’s second runway opened in 2020, and there is little sign the discussion will end soon.
Published 6-July-2026
