A Noise Abatement Procedure (NAP) is a procedure designed to reduce the impact of aircraft noise on the community. Theya re implemented by Air Traffic Control (ATC), airports or airport owners. They contain instructions for pilots and ATC for the runways, flight paths and procedures that should be followed, where safe, to minimise the impacts of aircraft noise on the community.

Airservices Australia has the following published NAP at Western Sydney Airport

• Western Sydney Airport NAP

Reporting is available for:

• Preferred Runway Operations
• Reciprocal Runway Operations (RRO) NAP

The first report for the above will be available as soon as practicable, in early December 2026.

The following NAPs are not able to be reported on by Airservices Australia as we do not have ready access to the required data:

• Use of Noise Abatement Departure Procedures (NADPs)
• Landing reverse thrust

It is important to note that NAPs are not mandatory; ATC and pilots apply the NAPs whenever possible.

The below overview provides monthly movement numbers, runway usage, and the types of aircraft operating at Western Sydney Airport. Note that the percentages shown at each end of the runway represent the proportion of arrivals or departures using that direction.

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.

Preferred runways are part of Western Sydney Airport’s Noise Abatement Procedures (NAP). There are different preferred runways during the daytime and overnight period:

During the daytime period (5:30am-11pm):

Priority 1: Arriving and departing Runway 23 (arriving from the north-east and departing to the south-west)

Priority 2: Arriving and departing Runway 05 (arriving from the south-west and departing to the north-east)

During the overnight period (11pm-5:30am):

Priority 1: Reciprocal Runway Operations (RRO) (arriving and departing from the south-west)

Priority 2: Runway 23 (arriving from the north-east and departing to the south-west)

Priority 3: Runway 05 (arriving from the south-west and departing to the north-east)

There will be reporting function that provides the percentage of each operating mode during daytime and night-time periods for each month. The first report will be available as soon as practicable, in early December 2026.