Instrument landing system for Gold Coast Airport

4 February 2019

Following flight path validation completed in December 2018, the Instrument Landing System (ILS) will be operational at Gold Coast Airport from 28 February 2019.

An overview of the ILS can be found in the updated Fact sheet: Instrument landing system for Gold Coast Airport (February 2019).

Airservices has released an updated Fact Sheet: Noise Abatement Procedures for Gold Coast Airport (February 2019). Noise Abatement Procedures will ensure that alternative flight paths are used in preference to the ILS. The Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT) conditions required Airservices to design Noise Abatement Procedures (NAPs) to minimise the use of the ILS to situations where poor weather conditions affect visibility, for operational requirements, and during emergencies.

22 November 2018

Aircraft are expected to start using the ILS in early 2019. Before it is available to airlines the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) requires that the ILS is flight inspected and that the flight path is validated by a specialist calibration aircraft. The flight inspections occurred between 16-18 November and flight path validation is scheduled to occur on 4 December 2018.

Airservices has released a new fact sheet on Noise Abatement Procedures. Noise Abatement Procedures will ensure that alternative flight paths are used in preference to the ILS, unless operationally required due to weather or other reasons.

When in use, the new ILS flight paths will have a varying effect on suburbs to the north of the airport. A detailed overview can be found in the updated Fact sheet: Instrument landing system for Gold Coast Airport November 2018.

Previous Updates

October 2017

At Gold Coast Airport, an Instrument Landing System (ILS) will provide vertical and horizontal guidance to pilots when landing in low visibility weather conditions, reducing flight delays and diversions. The Gold Coast typically experiences low visibility weather conditions due to tropical storms and high rainfall during the summer months, which is the region’s peak travel season.

As it is being installed on Runway 14, use of the ILS will require a new flight path extending north in a straight line from the runway to approximately Surfers Paradise.

Construction works and flight path validation will take approximately 12 months. Aircraft are expected to start using the ILS in early 2018. Before it is available to airlines the Civil Aviation Safety Authority will require that the ILS flight path is flown by a specialist calibration aircraft.

Noise abatement procedures will ensure that alternative flight paths are used in preference to the ILS unless operationally required due to weather or other reasons. Usage will vary according to weather conditions. When the weather is fine there may be days when the ILS is not used at all. On days when the weather is poor, all aircraft may need to use the ILS. When ILS usage is averaged out over the year it is expected to average six flights per day based on forecasts in Gold Coast Airport’s Major Development Plan.

ILS flight path

The ILS will need a new flight path extending north for about 18 kilometres (10 nautical miles) in a straight line from the northern end of the main runway to approximately Surfers Paradise (see map 1). This will give aircraft enough opportunity to ‘line up’ to the runway and ‘lock in’ with the ILS to receive guidance to the runway.

Much of this flight path is over residential land instead of over the ocean where most existing arrival flight paths are located. This will also mean a longer flying distance for those aircraft arriving from the south and east of the airport. At the starting point of the ILS approach flight path, 18 kilometres from the runway, aircraft will be more than 750 metres high or 2500 feet above ground level. Aircraft will generally perform a smooth constant descent once established in a straight line with the runway.

Map 1: The ILS flight path is shown by solid yellow lines. Some aircraft may fly through the region between the dotted lines as they travel to join the ILS flight path.

For information on flight paths currently in use, visit our online information about Gold Coast Airport or WebTrak.

How will the ILS affect me?

When in use, the new ILS flight paths will have a varying effect on suburbs to the north of the airport. In the map below, suburbs have been grouped into regions to more effectively explain the aircraft noise impacts when the ILS is in use. A detailed description of the noise effects for each region appears below the map.

MAP 2: How noise from the ILS flight path will affect residents. Suburbs are grouped into regions to more effectively explain the noise impacts when the ILS is in use.

Region 1 (green)

The proposed ILS flight path will be very similar to the existing approach flight paths to Runway 14 so the suburbs of Currumbin, Tugun and Bilinga are not expected to experience any additional aircraft noise impacts as a result.

Region 2 (orange)

Residents in this area, from Palm Beach to Surfers Paradise, currently experience a low level of aircraft noise. This area is expected to experience noticeable increases in aircraft noise when the ILS is used as aircraft will be travelling overhead instead of being some distance to the east over the ocean. Region 2 is expected to experience additional aircraft noise events of up to 74 dB(A) which is similar to the sound you may hear when a truck drives down your street and you are inside your home. Residents may perceive the increase in aircraft noise as up to twice as loud in some areas of Region 2.

Region 3 (solid and striped pink)

Region 3 is not expected to experience significant noise impacts as a result of the ILS. Aircraft arriving from the north using the ILS will generally fly within the solid pink coastal corridor on the map, spanning the suburbs of Runaway Bay to Surfers Paradise. Most international aircraft arriving into the Gold Coast from the north will fly over this region.

The suburbs of Varsity Lakes to Helensvale make up the striped, left portion of Region 3. A small number of aircraft could fly over this region to join the ILS flight path in order to avoid extreme weather events, to spread high volumes of air traffic or to respond to medical or aircraft emergencies.

Resources

Gold Coast ILS FAQs

How long will the ILS take to build?

The ILS will take 12-18 months from commencement of construction to approval for use by aircraft. It is anticipated that residents can expect to see aircraft flying the ILS in mid to late 2018. Before it is available to airlines the Civil Aviation Safety Authority will require that the ILS flight path be flown by a specialist calibration aircraft.

When will the ILS be used?

It is essential to remember that air traffic control are required to provide the most appropriate approach procedure available to ensure the safe landing of aircraft and in all weather conditions, pilots must be able to see the runway before landing.

The ILS will be available every day of the year to aircraft (international and domestic) arriving on Runway 14 at Gold Coast Airport, however use of this procedure will depend on a number of conditions.

The precise number of flights expected to use the ILS is difficult to predict as the decision to fly the ILS approach is made by the pilot based on a number of factors. These include weather conditions, as well as the type of landing technology used by respective airlines.

Aircraft arriving to Gold Coast Airport from the north onto Runway 14 prefer to use the satellite-based navigation procedure ‘Required Navigation Performance’ (RNP) as this approach is the most technologically advanced – with both horizontal and vertical guidance and provides the greatest safety and efficiency benefits. This approach keeps aircraft over water until Currumbin Creek.

If the aircraft is operated by an Australian or New Zealand carrier, the pilot is also permitted to request a visual approach, which follows a similar flight path to the RNP approach.

If the weather on the day is poor visual approaches may not be available, as the line of sight to the runway may be obscured by cloud. In this case, providing the cloud is high enough for the pilot to see the runway one of the satellite-based navigation procedures (RNP or Area Navigation (RNAV)) approaches will be used.

Primarily, when the weather is very poor and the cloud is low, with limited visibility it is likely that all aircraft arriving at Gold Coast airport from the north using Runway 14 will require the use of the ILS to see the runway.

The ILS may also be used if operationally required or required for emergencies such as a failure of the satellite or any equipment that prevents use of satellite-based navigation.

Will noise abatement procedures be used?

The Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT) decision has required that noise abatement measures be drafted for implementation.

Noise Abatement Procedures will be put in place before the ILS is available to airlines to ensure that alternative flight paths will be used unless operational conditions require or as a contingency if there are no other options available to the pilot.

Noise abatement procedures will also apply to military and jet training aircraft.

Will training aircraft be allowed to use the ILS in fine weather?

Light aircraft currently carry out pilot training on instrument approaches close to the ILS flight path and overfly similar residential areas to the ILS flight path. Whilst these flights will continue to be used, Airservices may limit the schedule for, or amount of, light aircraft using the ILS. Jet aircraft training will not be permitted.

Are military aircraft permitted to use the ILS?

Military aircraft will be subject to the same Noise Abatement Procedures as other aircraft. The ILS will only be available to these aircraft when operational conditions require.

Please refer to fact sheets Instrument Landing System for Gold Coast Airport and What is an Instrument Landing System for further information.

What is an instrument landing system?

An Instrument Landing System (ILS) is a highly accurate radio signal navigation aid consisting of two antennas which transmit signals to receivers in the aircraft cockpit—a glide path tower located next to the runway at the northern end and a localiser antenna at the southern end. These antennas provide the pilot with vertical and horizontal guidance when landing in low visibility. An ILS is not used by departing aircraft.

Click here for larger image

How will an ILS improve flight reliability?

Gold Coast Airport is operating safely without an ILS and the public can continue to travel by air with confidence. An ILS enables airlines and airports to continue operations in low visibility conditions, such as rain and low cloud. This will increase the reliability of landing at the airport. In any weather conditions, pilots must be able to see the runway before landing.

Installing an ILS at Gold Coast Airport will reduce the “decision altitude” or height at which a pilot must make the decision to continue with the landing with the runway in sight or to go-around or divert because the runway is obscured by cloud. An ILS will reduce the decision height, or minima, from 430 feet to 280 feet, improving the chance of landing in poor weather. However, an ILS will not guarantee a landing in all weather—the decision to land in poor weather is ultimately up to the pilot-in-command.

What is the difference between ILS and Smart Tracking?

Smart Tracking is satellite-assisted navigation technology allowing aircraft to fly with greater accuracy and can assist in allowing an aircraft to land in low visibility conditions.

At the Gold Coast, Smart Tracking allows aircraft to approach Runway 14 from the south and north with the majority of the flight path over the water before making a final approach for landing. Smart Tracking at Gold Coast Airport has a decision altitude or minima—where the pilot must be able to see the runway to continue with the landing—of 430 feet.

In comparison, an ILS provides a minimum decision altitude of 280 feet and improves the predictability of landing in low visibility conditions.

More information

This page provides a summary of the flight path and airspace changes we implemented in 2019.