Airservices is a government-owned corporation providing safe, secure, efficient and environmentally responsible services to the aviation industry. We manage air traffic operations for around 75 million passengers on more than three million flights every year.

Sydney Airport

Sydney Airport is positioned on the northern shoreline of Botany Bay, 9km from the GPO. On average, 36 million passengers and 500,000 tonnes of airfreight are processed annually. However, in terms of land area (800 hectares), Sydney Airport is the smallest of all of Australia’s capital city airports.

Hours of operation/curfew

The curfew at Sydney restricts both aircraft size and runway usage between the hours of 11.00pm and 6.00am local time. Additional restrictions limit specific runway use between 10.45pm – 11.00pm daily and 6.00am – 7.00am and 10.00pm – 11.00pm on weekends.

A strict quota of international passenger jet aircraft may land during the ‘curfew shoulder period’ – 11.00pm to midnight and 5am to 6am – if they meet certain criteria, including the strictest International Civil Aviation Organisation noise standards.

In order for a larger aircraft to have access to Sydney airport outside curfew hours it must apply to the Department of Infrastructure and Transport for an exemption.

Despite the curfew, Sydney Airport never closes completely. For example, it is always open to medical and other emergency flights.

Runway configuration

The runways at Sydney Airport are 16R/34L (3962 metres), 16L/34R (2438 metres) and 07/25 (2530 metres). All runways are serviced by an instrument landing system, and there are a variety of non-precision approaches available.

Traffic

Average annual aircraft movements are around 300,000. A movement cap of 80 aircraft movements per hour is in place.

Long Term Operating Plan

The Long Term Operating Plan has been operational at Sydney airport since 1996. The aim of the Plan is to operate as many flight paths over water or non-residential land as practicable and where this is not possible, to share the noise burden of aircraft over residential land as equitably as possible.

Accordingly, the targets of the Plan are to have the majority of aircraft movements (55 per cent) to the south over water, with 17 per cent of movements to the north, 15 per cent to the west and 13 per cent to the east.

More information on the Long Term Operating Plan can be found in the LTOP Report.

Noise and flight path monitoring

Noise Monitoring Terminals are located at Penshurst, Bexley, Eastlakes, Coogee, Sydenham, Kurnell, Annandale, St Peters, Croydon, Hunters Hill and Leichhardt.

View Quarterly Noise and Flight Path Monitoring System Reports for Sydney.

View monthly reports on noise complaints pertaining to Sydney Airport prepared by the Noise Complaints and Information Service: Sydney Airport Operating Statistics.

Related links

Technical resources