Cairns arrivals are as much about terrain as noise abatement. Nevertheless, there is a 'noise sensitive' area, just to the north of the airfield on the extended centreline. Whilst I appreciate that it must be a lovely place to have built one's house, I suspect that the airport was there first.
A story I heard when I was flying there on the 767 was that the locals wanted a curfew to be instigated. When it was pointed out that the aircraft arrive when they do as a result of departing Japan at the latest possible times prior to the start of their curfew, the response was to suggest that they should hold until a more convenient time..or perhaps go to Brisbane first, and then come back. The actual result of such a curfew would have been the loss of all of the flights...thankfully some level of sense prevailed, although I think it did fall off the Japanese wish list anyway.
