Knowledge Centre

Flight paths

Defining flight paths

Flight paths are highways in the sky. They define three-dimensional routes that aircraft use to arrive at or depart from an airport.

They are developed in accordance with standards established by organisations including the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) and The Office of Airspace Regulation (OAR) and are carefully formulated to ensure the safe and efficient operation of aircraft.

Designing flight paths

Flight paths are the means through which air traffic is controlled and are based on Standard Arrival Routes (STARs) and Standard Instrument Departures (SIDs). Together, STARs and SIDs form the basis for flight paths that are used by pilots and airlines operating in controlled airspace.

Designing STARs and SIDs is a complex and lengthy task. It requires several specialist disciplines to work together to achieve a safe and efficient outcome. The design for Brisbane Airport has been completed by Airservices Australia in consultation with Brisbane Airport Corporation, in accordance with standards established by organisations including the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA).

In order to reach the best outcome for safe operations, noise abatement as well as reducing emissions, the Brisbane airspace design underwent twenty-one iterations before reaching a stage that it could be presented to CASA for approval.

The use of specific paths

Pre-determined flight paths are used by pilots to negotiate entry into and out of airspace, under the direction of air traffic controllers. By using a number of navigational tools that are established for each flight path, pilots can fly safely and confidently into and out of an airport even if they have never flown there before.

Aircraft are fitted with different navigational tools and this can dictate the flight path required for that particular aircraft. The choice on which flight path to use can also be influenced by weather conditions, aircraft separation requirements and the concentration of aircraft arriving or departing at the airport.

The difference between jet and non-jet tracks

Flight paths differ for various aircraft types. This is due to the different navigational tools available on jets versus non-jet aircraft, such as turboprops. Helicopters also have different flight paths due to the different ways in which air traffic controllers manage these operations.

Non-jet (turboprop) flight paths
When arriving into Brisbane Airport, non-jet aircraft (or turbo propeller aircraft) fly a range of approaches, including tracking on the jet flight paths or flying a visual approach. This is when a pilot is navigating the aircraft by visual references to the ground and can therefore vary by several kilometres. In terms of departures, non-jet traffic follows a similar path as the jets but tend to turn early off the runway to clear the way for jet traffic behind them. This is to allow for adequate separation between slower and faster aircraft departing from Brisbane Airport.
The below graphics show non-jet arrival and departure tracks.

Northerly winds:

Southerly winds:

Flight path ‘swathes’

Flight paths can be depicted as single lines on a map, however it is not always possible for aircraft to follow precisely along the line depicted. This is why flight paths are depicted as ‘swathes’.

In practice, flight paths can vary up to several kilometres or more. This occurs for a range of reasons such as weather conditions, requirements for aircraft separation or variations in aircraft performance.

Some aircraft will use a visual approach when arriving at Brisbane Airport. This approach is when a pilot proceeds by visual reference and therefore this approach can vary by several kilometres.

Modes of operation

With the opening of the new runway on Sunday 12 July 2020, Brisbane Airport moved to parallel runway operations. Brisbane Airport has three main modes of operation:

1. Simultaneous parallel operations where all flights land over the bay and take off over the city from both runways. This means arrivals and departures on both runways at the same time in a southerly flow of traffic.
2. Simultaneous parallel operations where all flights land over the city and take off over the bay from both runways. This means arrivals and departures on both runways at the same time in a northerly flow of traffic.
3. Simultaneous opposite direction operations where flights both land and take off over the bay. This is the preferred mode for night time operations.

The decision on mode of operation use is the responsibility of Airservices Australia.

Modes of operation

Generally, aircraft departing to or arriving from the west or the north will land and depart on the new runway. 
Generally, aircraft departing to or arriving from the south or east will land and depart on the legacy runway.
The decision on mode of operation use is the responsibility of Airservices Australia.

Night time operations

Between 10pm – 6am, the preference is for all overnight arrivals and departures to occur over the bay. This is weather dependent and based on four factors – visibility, cloud cover, wind speed and runway surface conditions.

If over the bay operations are possible, arriving aircraft will land on the new runway and departing aircraft will use the legacy runway. This means that the initial climb and final descent of aircraft will take place over water, rather than residential areas. This is expected to be available over 50% of the time.

If over the bay operations can’t be utilised due to weather conditions, reciprocal operations using either runway will be the next preferred option. This is also weather dependent, with both arriving and departing aircraft using the same or either runway. If over the bay operations are not possible due to weather conditions, a modified version of simultaneous parallel operations based on wind direction will be implemented.

If there are northerly winds, flights will land over the city to the legacy runway and take off over the bay from both runways. If there are southerly winds, flights will land over the bay on both runways and take off over the city from the legacy runway. This maintains consistency with proposed flight paths included in the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS).

Night time operations

Different flight approaches

When aircraft arrive at Brisbane Airport, they can take one of three different approaches. The approach they take will depend on the navigational aids available on that particular aircraft.

The three approaches are:

1. Instrument landing system approach (or ILS approach) – this approach requires aircraft to line up with the centreline of the runway pprox.. 12 nautical miles (approximately 22 kilometres) from landing. It communicates with two pieces of equipment on the ground: the localiser which provides lateral guidance and the glide slope which provides vertical guidance.
2. Short approach (or RNP approach) – this approach uses satellite based technology and equipment in the aircraft to safely navigate the aircraft into landing. This does not require communication with any equipment on the ground.
3. Visual approach –this approach is conducted when the weather is fine with no low cloud cover and a pilot is operating the aircraft by visual references. This approach can therefore vary by several kilometres.

The choice of which flight path to use can also be influenced by weather conditions, aircraft separation requirements and the concentration of aircraft arriving or departing at the airport.

Aircraft approaches

An arrivals procedure known as ‘Continuous Descent Approaches’ (CDA) will continue to be in operation at Brisbane Airport. CDA involves aircraft maintaining a steady angle of approach until they reach the final approach. The intention of CDA is to reduce arrival noise by:

• keeping aircraft higher for longer
• smoothing the approach of the aircraft by limiting the use of the throttle to avoid over powering the aircraft engine
• In addition, CDA reduces fuel burn and emissions, which leads to an overall environmental benefit.

Runway numbering system

So that air traffic controllers can direct pilots to the appropriate runway for take-off or landing, runways are always described using two numbers. Each number represents the orientation of the runway on a compass.

Based on compass orientation, Brisbane Airport’s legacy runway is described as 01/19 (010 degrees magnetic / 190 degrees magnetic).

The new runway is parallel to the existing runway and therefore also carries the numbers 01/19. To distinguish between the two, ‘L’ for left and ‘R’ for right has been added to all directions on both runways.

Therefore, the legacy runway is described as 01R/19L and the new runway is described as 01L/19R.

Any aircraft using 01 will either be arriving over the city or taking off over the bay. Any aircraft using 19 will be either arriving over the bay or taking off over the city.

Runway Rename

Aircraft altitude

The altitude that an aircraft is flying can vary for a number of reasons, including the size of the aircraft and its destination. A larger, long haul aircraft with a higher fuel load or heavy freight load will depart from an airport at a lower altitude than a smaller, short haul aircraft with a lower fuel load or less freight. For example, an A380 aircraft travelling to Dubai will fly at a lower altitude than a B738 aircraft flying to Sydney.

Due to this variation, altitude can be described as a ‘band’, with a minimum and maximum altitude possible at a particular point of a journey. For example, the ‘cruise’ altitude for a particular route may be between 29,000ft (minimum) and 43,000ft (maximum).

For the purposes of this flight path tool, an average altitude within the middle of the band is displayed. If your selected address is under a legacy or new flight path, data will appear in a pop-up box which includes the average altitude of the aircraft expected above that address.  

How can I find out more?

For more detailed information on flight paths and aircraft noise, please download the Brisbane Airport Flight Path and Noise Information Booklet.

Learn more about flight paths and aircraft noise at BNE's mobile information centre. Find out where the mobile information centre is popping up next here.

Flight path FAQs

When did the new runway open?

The new runway opened on Sunday 12 July 2020. You can find out more information on the project here.

Is the cross runway (14/32) still in operation?

No, the smaller cross runway closed permanently in April 2020. Any aircraft which used the cross runway will use the legacy or new runway.

Who manages the airspace?

Airservices Australia is the government owned organisation responsible for managing Australia’s airspace, which equates to 11% of the world’s total airspace.

How can I find information on the previous flight paths, before the new runway opened?

You can view the flight paths that were in use before Sunday 12 July 2020 below. This information is also available in the 2020 Flight Path and Aircraft Noise Information Booklet.

Northerly winds

Southerly winds

How low are aircraft allowed to fly over the suburbs?

Minimum heights are governed by Regulation 157 of the Civil Aviation Regulations 1988. This states that pilots must not fly over cities, towns or populous areas at a height lower than 1000 feet, or over any other area lower than 500 feet, taken as height above the highest point in the terrain. However exceptions do apply, for example:

• in situations where the weather requires lower flying
• for helicopters flying within specified access lanes
• where the aircraft is engaged in air work for which the operator has a permit (such as media helicopters)
• for police and search and rescue operations
• where an aircraft is in the course of taking off or landing at an airport.

These and other exceptions are set out in the regulations.

Why is there an early turn off to the south of the current runway, but not to the south of the new runway?

Flights using the new runway will arrive from and depart to the north and west. The flight path departing to the south of the new runway and then heading north needs to loop back around and cross over the incoming arrival tracks to the north of the new runway. To maintain safety, all jets departing and making this loop to head north, need to have sufficient time and distance to reach 10,000ft before crossing over the arriving aircraft below. If an early right turn was implemented, this would not give jet departures the sufficient time and distance to reach this altitude before crossing the arrival tracks.

In addition to this, air traffic control must turn propeller aircraft (non-jet aircraft) early to allow faster following jets to depart the runway without being delayed. This means the departing jets must turn later to enable them to climb above the propeller aircraft before turning back over them to the north.

Why is the current river track no longer available to the new runway?

The ICAO Procedures for Air Navigation Services – Aircraft Operations (PANS-OPS) criteria requires a minimum radius when aircraft turn towards a runway on an RNP AR approach. As the new runway is 2km west of the legacy runway, when that minimum turn radius is applied to the river track, it is pushed further to the west and cannot be replicated over the legacy river track flight path.

Who determines where aircraft fly?

Airservices Australia determine where aircraft fly based on a number of factors, including weather conditions and the concentration of aircraft arriving or departing at the airport. However, ultimately the decision of where to fly lies with the pilot of that particular aircraft. Maintaining safety is the number one objective for all parties involved.

Are there plans to introduce a curfew at Brisbane Airport once the new runway is operational?

No. The Federal Government undertook an extensive review in 2014. The Government determined that Brisbane Airport would remain curfew free due to its much larger non-residential buffer compared to other cities and the effective use of noise abatement procedures.

When was the new airspace approved for Brisbane Airport?

The process for adoption and implementation of significant changes to the operation of Australia’s airspace, such as changes required for Brisbane's new runway, is complex and rigorous. Based on current legislative requirements, the approval of changes to airspace required for Brisbane's new runway was a sequential two-step process, as described below.

Step 1 – Approval of the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) / Major Development Plan (MDP). This occurred in 2007.

Step 2 – Approval by the Office of Airspace Regulation (OAR) within CASA. This occurred in October 2018.

For more information on the process, please refer to the 2020 Flight Path and Aircraft Noise Information Booklet.

How is airspace approved?

Before any proposed flight path procedure and/or modes of operation can be finalised and implemented for Brisbane's new runway, Safety Case and Environmental assessments were completed by the airspace and navigation service provider, Airservices. In October 2018, these assessments were approved by the Office of Airspace Regulation (OAR) within the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA).

Why is there an aircraft over my house when I don’t live under a flight path?

There are a number of reasons why you may see and hear aircraft over your house, even if you don’t live under a flight path. Some of these reasons include:

1. Flight path ‘swathes’
2. Weather
3. The aircraft you see and hear is on a flight path to or from an airport other than Brisbane Airport
4. Occasionally, air traffic controllers ask pilots to fly outside normal flight paths for operational reasons, but this is quite rare

Why are there suddenly more aircraft flying over my house?

Weather impacts such as wind, clouds and rain all impact where planes fly and the level of noise experienced.

If there is a change in wind direction at Brisbane Airport, the direction of take-off and landing will also change. This may mean that you experience more aircraft flying over your house at certain times compared to others.

Why can't all of the flights arrive and depart over Moreton Bay?

A number of factors influence the choice of runway and direction for arriving and departing aircraft, with safe and efficient movement of aircraft being the fundamental objective.

Factors include wind direction, wind speed and traffic demand.

During peak times at Brisbane Airport, the concentration of aircraft needing to land and depart from the airport is too high to operate only over Moreton Bay. This operating mode is only available when traffic volume and weather conditions permit, which will most often be at night.

During the day, if the wind direction is from the north or east, aircraft will land over the city and take-off over the bay. If the wind direction is from the south or west, aircraft will land over the bay and take-off over the city.

What determines the direction that aircraft take off and land?

As a general rule, aircraft must take-off and land into wind.

How do operations in the Air Traffic Control tower change now that the new runway is operational?

Airservices Australia has two independent teams – one managing each runway. This is because the runways are able to operate simultaneously, due to their 2km separation.

What do the different letters mean on the flight paths?

The letters correspond to the data tables provided for each scenario of weather impacts and timing. To view the data table, select an address on any flight path and select 'View all data' at the bottom of the pop-up box. The letters in the flight path column correspond with the letters shown on the map.

The Flight Path Tool shows current volumes of traffic. How can I find information on future flight forecasts in and out of Brisbane Airport?

The Brisbane Airport Flight Path & Aircraft Noise Information Booklet provides information on aircraft operations at Brisbane Airport based on future flight forecasts between now and 2035. The booklet includes information on the anticipated average number of jet flights on each flight path, expected minimum and maximum number of flights on each flight path, the % of Brisbane Airport’s total jet flights on each flight path and the % of days with no jet flights on each flight path. The 2020 Flight Path & Aircraft Noise Information Booklet can be found here. 

I’ve noticed a change in some of the information within the Flight Path Tool since the last time I logged on. Why is this the case?

The Flight Path Tool is updated with new information from time to time, as flight procedures are checked by the regulatory authorities and finalised. The information, inputs, opinions, assumptions and modelling may change. Brisbane Airport is committed to always providing the most recent data, hence you may notice some changes. If you have questions about a specific change, please contact us via the contact page.

What are contingency flight paths and when are they used?

Contingency flight paths are only used when an unexpected or unplanned event occurs, for example where flights need to be diverted to the other runway due to bad weather, runway pavement failure or a runway closure. These flight paths are only used when necessary and only as a temporary measure.

How to use the Flight Path Tool

Overview

The flight path tool shows the jet arrival and departure flight paths from Brisbane Airport. It allows a user to search any address in Brisbane in relation to these flight paths, to understand the impacts on the selected address. The tool also shows noise mapping, highlighting areas affected by aircraft noise of 70 decibels or more.

Please note, if your address lies close to a flight path but not directly underneath, it is recommended that you move the pin to an address within the flight path (at the same distance from the runway) and view the related data.

How to use the Flight Path Tool

Browser

The flightpath tool has been optimised to function best on a modern web browser such as Google Chrome.

Desktop instructions: Flight paths

Step 1
Enter an address in the text box in the top left-hand corner of the screen. Please note, addresses should begin with street number or street name when searching (please remove unit numbers).

Step 2
Utilise the filters in the left hand side toolbar to compare the differences in data based on runway operations, wind direction and timing. To learn more about the filters and how these impact flight paths, select the ‘ Learn more ’ text within each section.

Step 3
If your selected address is under a flight path, data will appear in a pop-up box. Select ‘VIEW ALL DATA’ to view a data table for this address and all flight paths, regardless of wind direction.
To select a different address, either remove current address from the text box and re-enter or click the map to move the pin to a new location.

Desktop instructions: Noise Mapping

Step 1
Enter an address in the text box in the top left hand corner of the screen and change the filter from ‘SHOW FLIGHT PATHS’ to ‘SHOW NOISE MAPPING’. Please note, addresses should begin with street number or street name when searching (please remove unit numbers).

Step 2
Utilise the filters in the left hand side toolbar to compare the differences in data based on runway operations and timing. To learn more about the filters and how these impact aircraft noise, select the ‘i Learn more’ text within each section.

Step 3
If your selected address is within the noise mapping area, data will appear in a pop-up box. Select ‘VIEW ALL DATA’ to view a data table for this address and all timings.
To select a different address, either remove current address from the text box and re-enter or click the map to move the pin to a new location.

If you would like to understand more about flight paths and aircraft noise, select ‘KNOWLEDGE CENTRE’ from the main toolbar. The Knowledge Centre includes information on a range of topics, as well as Frequently Asked Questions.

If you would like to contact someone in relation to flight paths and/or aircraft noise, select ‘CONTACT’ from the main toolbar.