Bayside residents are rallying against a proposed 2026 night-time flight path from Brisbane Airport, warning it will increase aircraft noise, harm quality of life, and impact the environment.
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A petition on Change.org, signed by residents of Wynnum North, West, and Central, Manly, Manly West, Hemmant, and wider Bayside communities, has called for Airservices Australia to withdraw its “tight left turn” departure route, which would operate during night-time runway maintenance.
Opponents said the change could expose about 50,000 more people to noise, disrupt sleep, worsen mental health, and lower property values. They also fear it will set a precedent for lifting restrictions on the airport’s second runway at night, potentially paving the way for more flight paths and increased air traffic.
A similar 2023 plan was abandoned after safety and environmental risks were identified, but residents claim the new proposal is even tighter and has not undergone a proper Environmental Impact Assessment despite crossing the Moreton Bay Ramsar Wetlands.
Airservices Australia maintains the trial aims to reduce aircraft noise in other parts of Brisbane and says the design has been shaped by industry and community engagement. The agency says the new route is one of several options considered and believes it offers a balance between noise mitigation and operational efficiency.
Flight Path Details
Under the proposal, which is part of Airservices Australia’s Noise Action Plan for Brisbane, departing aircraft would use the airport’s second runway and execute a tight left-hand turn immediately after take-off, flying over industrial and airport land before heading out across Moreton Bay. Once over water and at higher altitudes, planes would join their regular flight paths.
The trial, scheduled during upcoming runway maintenance next year, would see aircraft pass at altitudes as low as 549 metres over parts of Wynnum North, Wynnum West, Manly, Hemmant and Lytton, as well as the Caltex refinery, Port of Brisbane, and sections of the Moreton Bay Marine Park.
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Airservices stated that the option was selected for testing because it may deliver overall noise benefits across the wider Brisbane region, though Bayside locals argue it shifts the burden onto new communities.
Published 11-August-2025
