WSI is expected to use RRO (aircraft depart to the south-west and arrive from the south-west) as its preferred runway mode between 11pm and 5.30am. For RRO to be used, all the following conditions must be met:

• Tailwinds (including gusts), must not exceed 5 knots (approximately 9km/hour)
• The runway surface must be dry, including free of dew or fog
• Low traffic levels – due to the opposing-direction movements of aircraft. For safety reasons, a departing aircraft cannot take off if an arriving aircraft is within 20 nautical miles (approximately 37km) of the airport. If traffic levels increase, ATC will switch to using Runway 23 or Runway 05

When RRO is in use, a NAP for RRO has also been developed to further minimise these impacts by tactically directing aircraft off the designated flight paths and around communities when lower traffic volumes allow. The following conditions, in addition to the RRO conditions listed above, must be met for RRO-NAP to be used:

• Due to opposing-direction movements of aircraft, RRO NAP can only be applied when arriving aircraft are more than 30 nautical miles, approximately 56km from WSI. If traffic levels increase, ATC will switch to using RRO, Runway 23 or Runway 05

More information about RRO and RRO-NAP can be found in the RRO factsheet.

As per the ministerial direction, reporting on RRO and RRO NAP utilisation rates will commence at the end of the first month of commercial passenger flights from WSI. The first report will be available as soon as practicable in early December 2026.