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Sydney Airport Community Forum

Federally-leased airports (excluding Mt. Isa and Tennant Creek) have established Community Aviation Consultation Groups (CACGs), which provide an effective avenue for local community engagement on airport planning and operations, including aircraft noise. The Department for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications provides guidelines for CACGs.

Non federally-leased airports may also choose to establish CACGs or community forums.

CACG membership depends on the characteristics of the airport and any local issues of community concern however, generally includes:

  • airport management
  • aircraft operators
  • community organisations or representatives
  • representatives from state, territory or local government bodies
  • local tourism and business groups.

Airservices does not formally belong to CACGs, but is invited to attend to provide relevant information and assist in discussions. We engage with CACGs on flight path and airspace changes, as well as technical reviews, such as noise monitoring and noise abatement procedures.

Find our more information on the Sydney Airport Community Forum (SACF) webpage.

Meeting Summary Minutes

2024
IMC-FINAL-minutes-Meeting-168-5March24Download

IMC Final Minutes -Meeting 171-5 December24Download

2023
IMC-FINAL-minutes-Meeting-167-1August23Download
MAY 2023Download
IMC-FINAL-minutes-Meeting-166-30May23Download

2022

IMC-FINAL-minutes-Meeting-165-20December22Download
IMC-FINAL-minutes-Meeting-164-9August22Download
IMC-FINAL-minutes-Meeting-163-29March22Download
2021

IMC-FINAL-minutes-Meeting-162-23November21Download
IMC-FINAL-minutes-Meeting-161-21September21Download
IMC-FINAL-minutes-Meeting-160-20July21Download
IMC-FINAL-minutes-Meeting-159-18May21Download
IMC-FINAL-minutes-Meeting-158-16Feb2021Download
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Unusual activity

We regularly receive calls about unusual or irregular aircraft activity or airport operations.

Aircraft may not fly on the published flight path for a number of reasons. You can learn more on our Do planes have to stay on flight paths? page.

Some other common reasons we are contacted are:

Circuit Training

At major general aviation airports around the country including Bankstown (NSW), Archerfield (Qld), Moorabbin (Vic), Parafield (SA) and Jandakot (WA), flight training schools regularly conduct circuit training. Circuit training sees aircraft, usually small single engine propeller aircraft, fly over the surrounding suburbs at a height of approximately 1,000 ft (305 metres).

Low level flights

Occasionally, aircraft and helicopters fly at low levels for reasons including law enforcement, rescue and military operations, aerobatic or air show displays.

More information is available on our What are the rules about helicopters? page and What are the rules about altitudes? page.

Equipment testing & calibration

We are responsible for conducting regular flight calibration inspections on around 500 navigational aids nationwide.

This involves a specially-equipped aircraft conducting numerous ‘missed approaches’ to test and calibrate equipment usually at low level. In order to fully check the equipment several passes are required and the aircraft may remain in the area for an extended period of time.

Whilst we take measures to reduce the impact of these inspections, they are required to maintain safety of the entire aviation system and on occasion we may need to undertake these at sensitive times.

Smoke and flames from an airport

We regularly conduct training exercises around the country for aviation fire fighters which involve the creation of large amounts of smoke and flames. There may also be an unusually high number of emergency vehicle movements. The appearance of smoke and flames at an airport does not mean there has been an accident or that there is any concern for aircraft safety.

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Useful documents and websites

Further information about aircraft operations

You can find a range of information on the Airservices website.

Accessing earlier noise and complaint information reports

Our interactive noise and complaint reports include data from 1 January 2017. Previous reports are available on request.

Understanding noise and annoyance – video

Everyone encounters sound every day. It is only when that sound causes an adverse effect on a listener, such as annoyance, does that sound become noise. Noise is not always just about how loud the sound is, there is a complex set of factors that drive annoyance both based upon the noise itself and what that noise means to us. Find out more by watching this video:

From the ATC archives – video

Take a look at how air traffic control and flight operations used to operate.

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Introduction to aircraft noise

Although the terms noise and sound can be used interchangeably, noise is used to refer to an unwanted sound, while sound is the generic term used to refer to anything acoustic.

In the case of aircraft noise, the acoustic energy can pass through 500 metres to 10 kilometres (or more) of air to reach local communities. As a result an aircraft can sound very different depending on the distance between the community and the aircraft, be that at flying or on the ground at a nearby airport.

The following video explains how aircraft noise is generated and how the characteristics of sound from aircraft can vary depending on a range of factors, such as the height of the aircraft, the type of aircraft (jet/propeller), its speed and weather:

If you would like to read more about aircraft noise and how we monitor it, you can visit our aircraft noise webpage.

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How frequent are flights in my area?

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.

View full screen

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How high are aircraft near me?

The altitudes of aircraft over your area can vary according to:

  • the airport the flight is coming from or going to
  • whether the aircraft is arriving, departing or in level flight
  • the specific requirements of the flight path
  • the need for air traffic control to maintain vertical separation between aircraft.

Find out more on our What are the rules about altitudes? page.

View full screen

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Helicopter routes from Sydney Airport

There are helicopter routes between Sydney Airport, the harbour and the coast. Scenic helicopter flights in these areas are becoming increasingly popular, especially on weekends and holidays.

Helicopters will fly these routes in one of two ways outline below. Helicopters may fly outside these routes if (for example):

  • they are bound for other destinations, or
  • by direction of air traffic control, or
  • if they are conducting “airwork” such as aerial filming, photography or surveying, shark spotting, or
  • if they are performing emergency services operations.

Option 1: To/from the north

Helicopters inbound to Sydney Airport from the north will track from Darling Harbour to Central Railway station, usually at 1000 feet. Altitudes may vary on instruction by air traffic control.  They will then follow the railway line to Redfern Station.  From there they track to Erskineville Oval before descending to 500 feet while tracking to The Stamford Hotel on the outskirts of the airport. Instructions are then given for tracking to the helipad.

Outbound helicopters track via The Stamford to Erskineville Oval and then via Redfern Railway Station and the railway line to Central, and then to Darling Harbour, all at 1,000 feet.

Sydney Airport to harbour

Option 2: To/from the West

Helicopters inbound to Sydney Airport from the west will track from Maroubra Beach to Heffron Park on Bunnerong Road and to Eastgardens Shopping Centre at 1,000 feet.  From there they towards Southern Cross Drive while descending to 500 feet (altitudes may vary on instruction by air traffic control).  They are then given instructions by air traffic control for tracking to the helipad.

Outbound helicopters track via Southern Cross Drive to Eastgardens Shopping Centre at 1,000 feet and then to Maroubra Beach.  Once east of the coast they will descend to 500 feet which is the minimum altitude for flight over water.

Sydney Airport to coast helis

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How many aircraft fly near me?

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.

View full screen
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Sunshine Coast flight paths

New flight paths commenced at Sunshine Coast Airport on 14 June 2020. To learn more about the runways at Sunshine Coast Airport, take a look at our Sunshine Coast Airport Runways page.

The illustration below shows how jet and non-jet (turbo-prop) aircraft typically operate at Sunshine Coast Airport on the published instrument arrival and departure flight paths

The animation is indicative only and provided for information purposes, on occasions flights may leave these general areas from time-to-time.

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What was that flight?

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:

  • locate your street address and have your home appear on the map
  • see noise levels of individual aircraft
  • view information about aircraft type, height, origin and destination
  • display an aircraft’s flight path and point of closest approach to your home
  • zoom in and out down to street level.

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