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Brisbane Airport’s two runways will undergo heavy maintenance later this week, which will temporarily pause ongoing noise improvement trials, Airservices Australia says.
Brisbane Airport Corporation will perform the maintenance on both runways on 25 March from 7am to 4pm, and 26 and 27 March from 6am to 6pm.
Work will be conducted on each runway individually, leaving the other available for ongoing aircraft use, according to Airservices Australia.
“Community members may notice a temporary change to aircraft operations as all arrivals and departures will be conducted using a single runway,” read the release.
“These essential maintenance works are carried out twice every year to ensure the runways remain safe and operational.”
During the maintenance schedule, Brisbane Airport and Airservices’ new noise abatement trial – announced in January – will be impacted.
The trial aims to send more flights over Moreton Bay, following ongoing noise complaints from inner-city residents.
Under the 12-month trial, simultaneous opposite direction parallel runway operations (SODPROPS) will be extended by an additional two hours to 8am on weekends, allowing more flights to arrive and depart over Moreton Bay rather than the city.
Due to the runway closures, Airservices will be unable to run the trial to extend SODROPs.
“During the works, SODPROPs will remain the preferred operating mode from 10pm to 6am. Please note SODPROPS can only be used when weather and traffic conditions allow,” Airservices said.
Similar maintenance schedules are set for late October this year.
The trial forms one of multiple possible solutions being put forward by Brisbane Airport and Airservices Australia since January, to appease outraged residents.
Residents of inner-city Brisbane suburbs have continuously lobbied and protested against excessive aircraft noise pollution over their homes following the introduction of the second parallel runway.
The airport opened its new parallel runway in July 2020, and simultaneously implemented a slew of new flight paths that residents have since stated do not meet the expectations set in consultation with the community prior to the runway’s approval.
Following continuous complaints, the Greens party also announced in February it will introduce a new bill in federal parliament to impose flight curfews and hourly caps to limit noise disruptions.
Adrian P
says:Sschh, do not mention the residents who had a reduction of aircraft noise due to closing the crosswind runway.
Cross runway 14/32 was decommissioned on Monday 30 March 2020