Runway Safety

Sydney Airport regards aviation safety as paramount and is committed to complying with Australia's stringent aviation safety regulations, as set by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA).

Following runway incidents at overseas airports, CASA reviewed and changed Australia's runway safety regulations, in line with international aviation standards.

As a result, the provision of larger runway safety areas is now a mandatory requirement for all runways being used by jet aircraft. Runway safety areas are cleared areas of ground located at each end of a runway. They are intended to minimise the harm to passengers in the unlikely event that an aircraft over runs or lands short of a runway.

Sydney Airport has three runways – two north-south runways and one east-west runway – so six larger runway safety areas are required in total.

Five extensions were completed in 2006, one at each end of the north-south runways and one at the eastern end of the east-west runway. In order to fully comply with CASA's new regulations, Sydney airport must now extend the sixth and final runway safety area at the western end of the east-west runway.

Importantly, completing this safety upgrade will also ensure the east-west runway continues to be available into the future.  This project will therefore secure for the long-term aircraft noise sharing and airfield operations.

Changes to runway operation

While this is an essential runway safety upgrade, the complexity of the construction program will have some unavoidable operational impacts.

The large tall cranes, plant and other equipment needed for the $85 million construction mean that there will be unavoidable restrictions on the east-west runway's operations while construction takes place. But unless the safety upgrade is made, the east-west runway would not comply with safety requirements and would close permanently.

While construction is underway there will be two temporary operational impacts:

• High Cross-Winds: if there are high cross-winds (usually strong westerlies) during the first phase of the project (mid-October 2008 to mid-June 2009) then flights to and from Sydney Airport may be delayed or diverted – as they sometimes are now when the airport is impacted by fog.  In an effort to minimise the potential for such disruptions, the construction program has deliberately taken seasonal weather patterns into account.
• Aircraft Noise: because there will be restrictions on the operation of the east-west runway while construction is underway the distribution of aircraft noise around the airport will be different.  People living under the flight paths of the two north-south runways will experience an increase in the number of aircraft movements, while people living under the flight paths to the east-west runway will experience a decrease in the number of aircraft movements. 

There will be no change to the airport curfew and no change to the cap of 80 aircraft movements per hour.

Sydney Airport apologises to people who will be affected by this vital runway safety project, but it is essential that we comply with the Australian Government's air safety regulations.

To download a copy of the October 2008 project notification brochure – which is being distributed to around 100,000 affected households – please click on the link below:

Runway Safety project notification (PDF 264KB)

To download further information on the impact of high cross-winds, please click on the link below:

Fact sheet– Cross-winds and Construction of the New Runway End Safety Area (PDF 88KB)