Sydney Airport Curfew Change Call - EK faces $1M fine

[The Rok]

Hong Kong's airport is not a miss mash of operations dating back 60 years with add on's here there and everywhere. HKG airport was purpose built for the traffic it is handling and was designed to allow for further expansion & runways if necessary.

 

[anat0l]

Hong Kong has 7 million people and one airport. Seems to work fine...

That's a big airport at HKG and they have no curfew - no comparison to SYD. (I remember well some of those late night flights going to Korea etc.)

SYD would ideally be one terminal except they have no room (almost) physically and due to the curfew conditions.


If SYD won't lift the curfew then just move new aircraft movements to MEL. Oh, and tell the Tullamarine eggheads not to encourage development near the airport!

 

[harvyk]

Hong Kong has 7 million people and one airport. Seems to work fine...

Yes, and HKG is also a massive airport, built completely on reclaimed land.
SYD's only current option would be to reclaim more of botany bay \ start knocking down houses, I have my doubt either would be an acceptable option.

 

[serfty]

Yes, and HKG is also a massive airport, built completely on reclaimed land. ...

Indeed, the reclaimed land was shipped in from somewhere else

Chek Lap Kok was originally one of a pair of small islands off the coast of Lantau Island (the other island was called Lam Chau). Both were leveled and enhanced to make the new HKG.

 

[kamchatsky]

Hong Kong's airport is not a miss mash of operations dating back 60 years with add on's here there and everywhere. HKG airport was purpose built for the traffic it is handling and was designed to allow for further expansion & runways if necessary.

Well HKG already need to build the 3rd runway for HKG and I won't be surprised if they need 4th in another 10 years. It is not so much the population of HKG that requires the big airport it is also about the transit pax and cargo that it needs to support, especially more and more mainland Chinese starts to go to holidays.


A Third Runway ? Option 2: Three-Runway System - Hong Kong International Airport Master Plan 2030


Back to topic, I still couldn't really see Sydney having second airport soon given the politics involved. I would say lift the curfew given BNE and MEL doesn't even have one at the first place and they do have houses around them!

 

[simongr]

My point was that just because the population is 4M doesn't mean it needs a second airport. It just needs a govt with guts, authority, vision and a willingness to make a hard decision - something we are unlikely to find in NSW.

 

[straitman]

My point was that just because the population is 4M doesn't mean it needs a second airport. It just needs a govt with guts, authority, vision and a willingness to make a hard decision - something we are unlikely to find in NSW.

.... or anywhere else in Aust for that matter :!:

 

[JohnK]

With a population of 4.1Million it really could do with a second airport.

Good idea but still waiting for this to happen in my lifetime.

And the federal government has already said no to any curfew changes.

Amen to that....

 

[straitman]

Delhi only has one airport :!:

Official population approx 14 Million -- unofficial about 22 million.

 

[Awesom Andy]

And currently, HKG has 2 runways with enough separation for fully simultaneous operations. SYD has 1.5 runways that are too close together, although it also has a little strip for when the easterly/westerly blows.

 

[markis10]

My point was that just because the population is 4M doesn't mean it needs a second airport. It just needs a govt with guts, authority, vision and a willingness to make a hard decision - something we are unlikely to find in NSW.

The population of a city is not always a relevant factor in its airport use, in fact it's a poor benchmark for most airports, especially in Australia.

And currently, HKG has 2 runways with enough separation for fully simultaneous operations. SYD has 1.5 runways that are too close together, although it also has a little strip for when the easterly/westerly blows.

Sydneys runways can handle full simultaneous ops, the issue is not separation or even number of runways. the slots/movements are capped by law way below what it's capacity is.

 

[jb747]

In Melbourne I live right under one of the approach paths for the airport. Not departure, I'll admit, but aircraft noise is not an issue.

In Sydney, I have a flat which is under the departure tracks from 34L. Some aircraft are noisy (the older 747s, and surprisingly some of the A340s), but others are very quiet. The RR engined 380 stands out here (but not the alternative engine). The upshot is that I'm sure Sydney could have some modification to its curfew to make it a bit more flexible.

But, the biggest issue is the total lack of flexibility that exists with regard to curfew adjustments after weather issues. Storms that more or less shut down any of Sydney, Melbourne, or Brisbane, have their effects magnified many times over by this lack of operational flex.

 

[Simo]

As a pilot JB747 with you being delayed or stranded out of SYD could cause a knock on effect for staffing for a day or so.

 

[VHOEJ]

But, the biggest issue is the total lack of flexibility that exists with regard to curfew adjustments after weather issues. Storms that more or less shut down any of Sydney, Melbourne, or Brisbane, have their effects magnified many times over by this lack of operational flex.

Exactly. The curfew itself doesnt need to be 24 hours, but they need to allow flights to operate to clear the backlog if there is an event beyond thier control (weather). That event would only happen once a month on average - the airlines operating and having to cancel flights because they can't get out before curfew due to the weather costs them all big money.

But why Ablanese is in charge and has a huge conflict of interest, nothing will happen

 

[Moody]

But why Ablanese (sic) is in charge and has a huge conflict of interest, nothing will happen

What conflict of interest is that?

 

[el_rooto]

What conflict of interest is that?

His electorate is under the flight paths.

 

[Moody]

His electorate is under the flight paths.

Indeed - he is my local member, and I was kinda hoping there would be a conflict of interest. But instead of seeing flights deliberately funnelled over Kirribilli the status quo has been preserved and the inner west is copping it as usual. What's the point of a Labour government if they stick us in the neck as badly as the libs?