FAQs

The Brisbane Airport Flight Path Tool was a planning tool that relied on forecasts and modelled data to predict future operations after the new runway opened. It anticipated aircraft movements based on expected scheduling and likely flight paths. When users entered a search address online, the tool identified forecasted operations within three kilometres of that location.

The Airservices Baseline Model has been developed using two full years of actual flight data captured from our air traffic control radar system: 2019, the last year before the new runway came into use; and 2022 and 2023, the most recent complete years. When a search address is entered, this model identifies historical operations directly over the search area.

The flight path names in the two tools don’t directly correspond. The Brisbane Airport Flight Path Tool used alphanumerical references for each path to aid identification with reference to the Environmental Impact Statement. However, these references are not used in actual flight path operations.

In the Baseline Model, flight paths are named or ‘designated’ using a code based on the first waypoint (for arrivals) or the last waypoint (for departures) within Brisbane’s airspace, coupled with the associated runway. For example, SAN01R is linked to the waypoint called SANEG, representing the final waypoint on the departure path from Runway 01R, the legacy runway, when departing over the water.

A waypoint is a geographical location used to define a point on a flight path. Waypoints are defined by geographic coordinates and typically take the form of a five-letter capitalised word – SANEG, WOODY, SCOTT – so they are simple and distinct, easy to pronounce and can be heard clearly. We are using waypoints in community discussions to be clear which flight paths are referred to.

The Baseline Model has been developed to show actual aircraft movements captured through Airservices’ Air Traffic Control radar system – for current and pre-new runway flight paths – to compare to current and proposed options. The data within the Baseline Model shows yearly totals and yearly averages, and provides a geographical view of flight paths and samples of actual aircraft tracking with statistics. Modelled noise data is used so that when options are added to the model for comparison to current and past operations, the noise data can be directly compared – modelled data against modelled data. The noise model has been validated with actual noise monitoring data where available.

Aircraft movements are provided for 2019 (the last full year before the new runway opened) and the two most recent full years of operations with the new runway. The model provides statistics on aircraft movements and specific flight paths using a grid pattern where each cell is 750m x 750m. You can search for an address, then a pin will indicate the location and provide information relevant to the cell where the address is located. Flight statistics for the cell are shown in blue data tables and flight paths are shown as coloured swathes.

The Baseline Model is presenting data for full year periods and is using a grid cell structure to hone in on flights directly over specific cells. As such, it may in some cases present different outcomes when compared with the other tools that use a wider data capture area, rather than this grid pattern. The totals for data captured over the same capture area will be the same, as all data is sourced from our air traffic control radar information.

Noise data may vary due to the Baseline Model using modelled data considering the most commonly flown aircraft. Actual noise data may be different and vary widely depending on the type of aircraft, its weight, and weather conditions for each movement.

Aircraft in your Neighbourhood provides information on current flight path location and aircraft tracking, monthly data on aircraft movements, altitude, and noise, summaries of complaints, plus a range of information to support community understanding of aircraft operations in their area. This platform includes data from all airports within the Brisbane area including Brisbane and Archerfield airports, and the same information is also available for airports in other parts of Australia.

WebTrak allows you to see where aircraft are flying in almost real time using information from air traffic control radars to display aircraft movements within 80km of the airport and up to 30,000 feet altitude. Aircraft noise data is also displayed for noise monitors located in communities across greater Brisbane. It also provides historical information on aircraft movements before the new runway started operations.

Turboprop and piston-engine aircraft are included in the Baseline Model statistics. Nominal flight path swathes and actual tracking is displayed the same as for jet traffic. The latest version of the tool with 2023 data visually differentiates actual tracks from jets and non-jet traffic. The appearance of the flight path swathes will remain the same as they can be used by both jet and non-jet aircraft.

The coloured flight path swathes are for “standard instrument procedures” which are named for relevant waypoints, as noted above. Where the tracks don’t have a swathe, you’ll see flight path codes starting with “R”, indicating a Radar Departure or Radar Arrival. Pilots on these flights rely on compass directions, known as radar vectors, from Air Traffic Control for navigation during departure or arrival. There is no pre-set flight path for this type of departure or arrival and they can be used by jets or non-jets.

There aren’t noise monitors in every location that the baseline tool covers, so this would lead to gaps in mapping if we only used data from monitors. To ensure a consistent baseline across the entire mapped region, we’ve used modelled noise contours alongside our historical flight data. This approach will help us compare future options directly with the current and past operations, by looking at modelled data from different times.

We validated the accuracy of our modelled data using information from our noise monitoring program.

The Baseline Model uses a detailed grid to calculate statistical data. If there were no flights, or not many, over a selected grid cell, the flight paths won’t be visible. Click close to your chosen address to find a cell with data for nearby flight paths, as these are likely to be the flights you can see or hear from your address.

The daily average displayed for a nominated address corresponds to the chosen operation (day or night, northerly or southerly winds). The number of planes you see on any single day depends on the wind direction, which will change over the course of the day. The provided average is based on 365 days, including days with different wind directions and counts all flights over the selected address.

To see the highest number of flights for a specific flight path, choose ‘View data per flight path’. If there is more than one flight path over your property, check each one separately for this data (see orange box, below, for an example showing 14 paths) along with the daily average and maximum for that specific flight path.

The images, below, are screenshots from the Baseline Model and illustrate how you can find flight path data. When you select ‘View data per flight path’ from the data box shown in the image on the left, the image on right pops up.

While a flight path looks like a narrow line on a map, the term refers to a wide, three-dimensional space or corridor in which planes usually fly. Pilots may adjust their course within these broad corridors due to various factors, including the type of aircraft, its speed, weight, and navigation systems. Planes can also travel away from the published path because of weather conditions or Air Traffic Control instructions. Pilots and air traffic controllers work together to ensure safe, coordinated aircraft operations.

When looking at individual flight paths in the Baseline Model, you can see the actual tracking of all flights relevant to your chosen conditions (that is, the selected year, day or night, and wind direction). The example image, below, shows actual tracks that aircraft have flown in relation to the flight path, illustrating that it is not unusual for planes to not strictly follow the paths at all times.

We plan to incorporate modelled data for proposed options in future versions of the Baseline Model tool. For the initial three phases of our community engagement, baseline data was included in the fact sheets that were provided for each proposal.

The data is calculated on a grid structure where each cell measures 750m x 750m. The flight data is captured from our air traffic control radar, based on actual movements. If a flight does not fly over a particular grid cell, even if just outside this area, it will not register as a flight over that location.

Data is aggregated over yearly averages. Minimum altitudes and maximum aircraft movements numbers are also presented in addition to averages.