Previous Updates - 2017

24 November 2017

Airservices has carefully considered the concerns raised in community feedback about the flight path changes implemented on 14 September 2017. A review identified a number of alternative flight paths. A report on why the changes were made, alternative flight paths considered, community feedback and Airservices decision are outlined in the Hobart Runway 30 STAR Review Report available here.

22 November 2017

At today’s Community Aviation Consultative Group meeting at Hobart Airport, it was announced that following a review of changes made to flight paths at Hobart Airport, that Airservices intends to implement Alternative Flight Path 2 based on safety, air traffic management and community feedback. This implementation is planned to be completed in March 2018, due to the requirement to publish the procedure in aeronautical documentation and provide airlines with sufficient time to program flight management systems. A full report of the review will be made available on the Airservices website by the end of this week.

Airservices will now undertake a further review of the Hobart Standard Terminal Arrival Routes (STARs) and Standard Instrument Departure routes (SIDs) with terms of reference to be published by the end of January 2018. Airservices is committed to consulting with the community and other stakeholders throughout the review process. It is anticipated that the review will take approximately 12–18 months to complete.

10 November 2017

Information about:

• the alternative flight paths identified as part of the review
• the review process, and
• how to provide feedback on the alternatives that have been identified

is now available on our Review of arrival flight path to Hobart Airport page.

8 November 2017

Extended hours for consultation drop-in session

In response to requests we are extending the hours of the community consultation drop-in session on 11 November 2017 at Dunalley House, 172 Arthur Highway, Dunalley.

The session will now run from 11.15am until 3pm. You are welcome to attend at any time between these hours.

On arrival small groups of up to 10 people at a time will be given an introduction of around 15 minutes by Manager Southern Operations, Steve Clarke. These introductions will run consecutively throughout the session.

After the introduction three specialists will be on hand to discuss issues and answer questions in more depth with individuals and small groups.

As the venue size is limited, it would be greatly appreciated if you would register your intention to attend and include an indication of what time you may arrive. We will use this information to limit any waiting times as far as possible. Please register by calling the NCIS or by using our online form.

3 November 2017

As part of our review of the arrival flight path over Kellevie, Copping, Dunalley and Boomer Bay, Airservices is seeking feedback from the community on safe and feasible flight path alternatives that may reduce the impact of aircraft noiseover these areas.

A community consultation drop-in session will be held on 11 November 2017 at Dunalley House, 172 Arthur Highway Dunalley between 11.15am and 3pm and you are welcome to attend at any time between these hours.

If you are available to attend, we encourage you to register by calling the NCIS or by indicating your intention to attend using our online form.

20 October 2017

Airservices have carefully considered the concerns raised in community feedback about the flight path changes implemented on 14 September 2017. A review has commenced to assess and identify possible safe and feasible alternatives that would reduce aircraft noise impact on residents. In assessing possible options, safety will be our highest priority while seeking every opportunity to minimise and where possible reduce the impact of aircraft noise. The review will take several weeks and we will provide updates here regarding expected timelines.

Feedback can continue to be submitted to the Noise Complaints and Information Service.

19 October 2017

When designing these new flight paths, Airservices conducted an environmental assessment in accordance with Commonwealth regulatory requirements and Airservices environmental standards and procedures. The report Environmental Assessment of Hobart Airport – Proposed SIDs & STARS June 2017 is available here.

14 September 2017

Airservices implemented standard arrival and departure flight paths at Hobart Airport from 14 September 2017.

Changes to flight paths are made for a variety of reasons, including for safety and efficiency improvements. Changes at Hobart were implemented to assist air traffic control with separation standards thus reducing complexity and workload for controllers and pilots. As traffic levels increases, the standardisation of flight paths is a key safety measure which reduces complexity for pilots and air traffic controllers. These changes build separation standards into the airspace design for departing and arriving aircraft and enable pilots to improve fuel management and reduce emissions with the use on board systems.

In 2017, on average, there are around 30 arrivals and 30 departures each day at Hobart Airport. The flight paths that are used on any given day depend on which runway is in use. The runway direction used depends on the wind and other factors, with Runway 30 tending to be used more than 50 per cent of the time. For the changes shown in the maps residents will experience aircraft movements depending on direction of the wind and runway in use. Some residents will notice a change in where departing and arriving aircraft are tracking, as aircraft track with greater consistency. The maps and images in the fact sheet show the changes to where aircraft will be tracking.