Pilots union criticises Brisbane airport for ‘potentially unsafe’ noise reduction strategy

Australia’s biggest pilots’ union has alleged that an arrangement by Brisbane airport for three major international airlines to change takeoff and landing procedures to reduce noise pollution is “potentially unsafe” and “highly unusual”. The Australian Federation of Airline Pilots (AFAP) alleges that the airport’s move to encourage Singapore Airlines, Emirates and Cathay Pacific planes to consider taking off or landing with tailwinds of two knots above the limit imposed by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (Casa) “falls well outside international standards and conventions”. Aircraft noise has become a hot button topic in Brisbane, with the federal Greens pushing for a curfew and flight cap. Last week the Brisbane Airport Corporation CEO, Gert-Jan de Graaff, wrote to MPs seeking to “update you on the actions taken by BAC to help improve amenity for impacted residents”. In the letter, seen by Guardian Australia, he detailed how the airline had approached three international airlines, who often fly in and out at night, “to explore ways to minimise noise”. Casa’s maximum tailwind allowance prevents air traffic controllers from allocating runways to planes when there are tailwinds of more than five knots. Under the rules, however, pilots maintain discretion to operate with a higher tailwind. Graaff’s letter said after discussions with the airport, the three airlines had asked crews to consider taking off and landing over the water and, if the pilot considers it safe, to request the change from air traffic control. “This will mean there is a higher probability of achieving more departures and arrivals over the water, weather permitting,” Graaff wrote. “These airlines believe they can modify their operations in certain circumstances that will enable fewer flights over the populated areas of the city without any reduction in safety.”<br/>