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.

PROJECT UPDATE - JUNE 2009

Construction of Sydney Airport’s larger runway safety area at the western end of the east-west runway is on schedule. 

The first phase of the $90 million project was completed on schedule on 15 June 2009.

The restrictions on the use of the east-west runway that had applied since mid-October 2008 have now been significantly eased.  This means that in the early morning (6am to 7am) and in the evening (7pm to 11pm), the east-west runway is now available for aircraft noise sharing purposes, subject to weather conditions.

With the easing of the restrictions, and compared to the period mid-October 2008 to mid-June 2009, people living under the flight paths of the two north-south runways will experience a decrease in the number of aircraft movements, while people living under the flight paths of the east-west runway will experience an increase in the number of aircraft movements.

If there are high cross-winds then, as sometimes happens when there is fog or thunderstorms, flights may be delayed or diverted.  There will be no change to the airport curfew and no change to the cap of 80 aircraft movements per hour.

During the second phase of the project, any construction work preventing aircraft from using the east-west runway will occur between 7am and 7pm. Work on the project that does not affect use of the runway outside of these hours will still occur 7 days a week, including night works. This second phase of construction will continue until March 2010 when use of the runway will return to normal.

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 June 2009 Project Update brochure – which has been distributed to around 160,000 affected households – please click on the link below:

  Runway Safety Project Update (June 2009) (317.42kB)

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 (84.40kB) 

PUBLIC notification for 3 july 2009

Sydney Airport advises that due to forecast weather conditions, the east-west runway will be available for use on 3 July 2009 between 7am and 7pm.