Sunshine Coast Airport Airspace Changes Runway 13/31

Panoramic image of beach and ocean at the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia

Sunshine Coast Council led the Sunshine Coast Airport Expansion Project and has delivered the new runway (Runway 13/31). The new runway and associated flight paths became operational on 14 June 2020.

These flight paths will change the way aircraft operate as they arrive and depart from Sunshine Coast Airport.

For more information on flight paths and aircraft operations, view our Fact Sheets here. Following community feedback, we have included both the minimum and average heights for departures, as heights for departures can vary depending on aircraft type. Heights for arriving aircraft continue to be presented as minimum heights, as heights for arrivals are less varied.

You can also search your address in the Interactive Map here, which presents the arrival and departure flight paths to both ends of the runway.

We have provided FAQs here.

Where can I access more information?

For information on current aircraft movements and flight paths, historical runway utilisation or monthly complaint reports for the Sunshine Coast, visit the Airservices website here (external site).

For information on aircraft noise, visit the Aircraft Noise Information Tool on the Sunshine Coast Airport website here (external site).

For more information on the Sunshine Coast Airport Expansion Project, visit the Sunshine Coast Council website here (external site).

Sunshine Coast Council led the Sunshine Coast Airport Expansion Project and has delivered the new runway (Runway 13/31). The new runway and associated flight paths became operational on 14 June 2020.

These flight paths will change the way aircraft operate as they arrive and depart from Sunshine Coast Airport.

For more information on flight paths and aircraft operations, view our Fact Sheets here. Following community feedback, we have included both the minimum and average heights for departures, as heights for departures can vary depending on aircraft type. Heights for arriving aircraft continue to be presented as minimum heights, as heights for arrivals are less varied.

You can also search your address in the Interactive Map here, which presents the arrival and departure flight paths to both ends of the runway.

We have provided FAQs here.

Where can I access more information?

For information on current aircraft movements and flight paths, historical runway utilisation or monthly complaint reports for the Sunshine Coast, visit the Airservices website here (external site).

For information on aircraft noise, visit the Aircraft Noise Information Tool on the Sunshine Coast Airport website here (external site).

For more information on the Sunshine Coast Airport Expansion Project, visit the Sunshine Coast Council website here (external site).

  • Additional information for residents of Buddina and Point Cartwright


    We have received a number of queries regarding flight paths, curfew and consultation, from communities south of the airport including Buddina and Point Cartwright.

    Consultation on the proposed flight path designs concluded on 30 April 2019. Community feedback was analysed and alternative submissions considered. The Proposed Final Design and Consideration of Feedback report describes this process and the outcomes.

    We have recently received a number of requests from the community asking for the flight paths to be altered and for Airservices to relocate the tracking waypoints to the south east, known as ITIDE and MOOLO further over water to the north.

    As consultation has concluded these suggestions will not be analysed at this time.

    As part of our process, we may include them in the register of alternatives, if they meet minimum safety and operational feasibility requirements, will investigate them for possible future noise improvement outcomes.

    Flight Paths

    The communities of Buddina, including Point Cartwright, will no longer be directly overflown by jet operations when the new runway (Runway 13/31) operations commence.

    Instead the flight paths will take aircraft over the water for both departures and arrivals – with the arrival flight path now approximately 2 km to the east of the coastline.

    However these communities will continue to experience some aircraft operations, including noticing aircraft off the coast and experiencing some aircraft noise events, (between 5-10 noise events per day) at or below 60 decibels (N60). This will vary due to the runway operation used on the particular day and is slightly different across summer and winter.

    Some community members will experience the effect of aircraft operations associated with departures off Runway 13 (approximately 77% of the time, due to prevailing winds), and arrivals to Runway 31 (approximately 23% of the time due to prevailing winds).

    A graphic representation of this information can be found in Runway 13 Departures - Inner South Communities

    A graphic representation of this information can be found in Runway 31 Arrivals - Inner South Communities

  • Sunshine Coast Final Design and Consideration of Feedback Released


    The Sunshine Coast Proposed Final Design and Consideration of Feedback has been released.

    This report provides a summary of the Sunshine Coast Airspace and Flight Path Changes, presents the proposed final design, and describes how community feedback has been considered, and used to shape, these designs.

    If you have a query regarding information in the report please submit it by 5pm Friday 26 July 2019 through our 'Have a query or complaint?' form.

    Please note as consultation on this proposed flight path change is closed we are no longer accepting feedback on the proposed final design.

    We have also released Community Specific Fact Sheets and Runway Operation Infographic Posters which can be accessed under the resources tab.