The altitudes of aircraft over your area can vary according to:
Find out more on our What are the rules about altitudes? page.
This tool shows the number of flights each day over your area in the selected month compared to the average for last year. The bottom axis shows the day of the month. Use the drop-down menu to change the selected month to see how movements have varied. Hover over each day to see flight numbers.
Visit Engage Airservices to engage with our program of flight path and airspace changes.
Airport Master Plans provide a blueprint for the future development of an airport over a twenty year period. They include information on forecast growth, airport terminals and facilities, runways and flight paths.
Airports are responsible for producing the master plan.
The Sunshine Coast Airport Master Plan can be found on the Sunshine Coast Airport website.
WebTrak is a tool that enables the community to see where aircraft fly and explore historical trends and patterns. WebTrak is provided by Envirosuite .
WebTrak uses information from air traffic control radars to display aircraft movements. The flight search and display function allows you to view aircraft flight activity over metropolitan areas. You can also:
Note that there is slight delay on the display of flights.
You can view WebTrak for your region here.
Or, find out more information about WebTrak and how to use it
WebTrak is a tool that enables the community to see where aircraft fly and explore historical trends and patterns. WebTrak is provided by Envirosuite.
WebTrak uses information from air traffic control radars to display aircraft movements. The flight search and display function allows you to view aircraft flight activity over metropolitan areas. You can also:
Note that there is a slight delay on the display of flights.
You can view WebTrak for your region here.
Or, find out more information about WebTrak and how to use it
Every major airport has Noise Abatement Procedures (NAPs), which are procedures designed to reduce the impact of aircraft noise on the community. There are some limitations to the use of NAPs and they may not be used if they generate delay and congestion, as this can cause noise and emission impacts. Air traffic control or pilots may not be able to use them in certain situations, for example weather conditions or operational requirements.
Under the NAPs, the preferred runway for jet aircraft at Sunshine Coast Airport is Runway 31 for landing and Runway 13 for take-off.
During the operating hours of the air traffic control tower, controllers will determine the runway direction in accordance with operational requirements and other factors, such as the NAP.
When the tower is closed, the pilot will determine the best runway to use and will take consideration of any request by airport management. When operationally possible to do so, they will also apply the NAP.
The NAPs also specify that aircraft above 5,700 kilograms in weight, should track via approved flight paths when arriving and departing the airport.
Between the hours of 11pm and 5:30am, aircraft above 5,700 kilograms require prior approval from Sunshine Coast Airport to land or take-off from the airport.
Aircraft below this weight do not require prior approval and are permitted to operate at any time.
Further information on overnight operations, including reports, can be found on the Sunshine Coast Airport website.
Fly Neighbourly Advice or Fly Neighbourly Agreements are voluntary agreements established between aircraft operators and communities or authorities (normally airports or local councils) to assist in reducing the impact of aircraft noise on local communities. Sunshine Coast Airport has a voluntary Fly Neighbourly Program which encourages pilots to fly in a noise sensitive way whenever possible.
Gold Coast Airport has two runways; the main runway, Runway 14/32 (2.3 km long) is orientated north west – south east and the smaller cross runway, Runway 17/35 (0.6km) is orientated north-south.
Each runway is referred to differently according to in which direction it is being used, as explained in the following video.
For example the main runway is known as Runway 32 when used in a northerly direction and Runway 14 when used in a southerly direction. Runway numbering reflects the runways’ orientation and correlates with degrees on a compass. Runway 32 is 320 degrees.
Runway selection is based on wind direction, weather conditions, traffic volume and other factors. Aircraft primarily take-off and land into the wind for safety and performance reasons. Therefore, as the wind direction changes the runway in operation may also change depending on the strength of the wind.
This means that Gold Coast’s seasonal wind patterns affect usage of the different runway directions. Throughout most of the year, the wind at Gold Coast Airport tends to be from the south to south-east which means greater use of Runway 14 with aircraft departing to the south and arriving from the north. During the spring months, the wind tends to be from the north which means greater use of Runway 32 with aircraft departing to the north and arriving from the south.
Gold Coast Airport also operates a Curfew that restricts some aircraft operations during the night.
To learn more about the flight paths at Gold Coast Airport, take a look at our Gold Coast Airport flight paths page.
There are a number of factors that influence the frequency of flights.
Firstly, the number and frequency of flights will vary on a daily, weekly and yearly basis due to differences in airline schedules. The airlines schedule flights in response to consumer demand. This is particularly the case around Christmas, Easter, school holidays and Lunar New Year.
Secondly, the runway in use at any given time will also vary, largely due to the wind conditions. Each runway has its own set of flight paths, and each flight path will affect different areas. As the runway in use changes, the flight paths change, and so too do the areas affected by aircraft movements.
This chart shows the total number of flights each hour over the month, compared to the average for last year. Change the selected month to see how it has varied.
The altitudes of aircraft over your area can vary according to:
Find out more on our What are the rules about altitudes? page.
We have assembled a list of our commonly asked questions that are asked in most areas.
Aviation is a vital industry for the Australian economy. Business, tourism, social and freight activities rely on aviation. Unlike many other industries, aviation is regulated by the federal government rather than by state governments. This makes aircraft noise regulation quite different from the type of noise regulation you are used to at a local level that might, for example, prohibit noisy activities before 8:00 am on a Sunday.
Major airports in Australia are situated very close to residential areas and for this reason it is not possible to design flight paths that avoid flying over homes. In cities where the airport is located on the coast, flight paths will be designed to fly over water wherever possible. However because aircraft must take off and land into the wind, it is not always possible to avoid flying over residential suburbs by staying over water.
Aircraft noise remains a key challenge for an industry that is forecasting high levels of growth in air traffic movements over the next 20 years. Managing noise impacts on communities requires careful balance between the protection of affected residents and recognition of the broader economic and social contributions of the aviation activity.
Flight path design is a complex process. Flight paths must comply with international design standards and Australian safety regulations. Changes to flight paths may be made for a variety of reasons, including safety and noise management. However, changes are not easy to make as changes to one flight path usually impact other flight paths.
In considering any change, first of all we must have regard to safety – any change that could compromise safety cannot be progressed. Managing aircraft in a regular way and minimising complexities are central tenets of safety. We also consider the efficient operations of the airport and whether there would be an overall noise improvement for the community. We do not generally consider that moving noise from one part of the community to another is a noise improvement. In considering this we have to have regard to the entire flight path and the fact that moving it at one point may result in adverse effects many kilometres away. Unfortunately, the reality is that it is very difficult to identify flight path changes in metropolitan areas that can be made without moving the noise, or compromising safety or efficiency.
If a potential change is identified it must be environmentally assessed, the community, including potentially affected areas, the airlines and other stakeholders must be consulted and feedback from all must be considered. Finally, if the change is to go ahead, aeronautical documents for pilots must be produced and published and time allowed for crews and air traffic controllers to be trained in the new procedures. All these requirements mean that changes can take several years to make.
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