New Flight Paths Set to Increase Aircraft Noise Over Kenmore, Brookfield

Residents in Kenmore, Kenmore Hills, and nearby suburbs could experience increased aircraft noise if the new flight paths proposed by Airservices Australia get approved. The new flight paths aim to redistribute Brisbane Airport’s traffic and noise impact across different suburbs. Tell us what you think about this here.



The national airways safety provider recently announced five new flight path concepts, inviting public comment on changes that could significantly affect communities.

Kenmore and other suburbs in Brisbane’s inner-west and northwest are particularly affected by one of the proposed flight path changes. The proposal involves redesigning departure paths from the new runway, which would see aircraft splitting sooner and flying different tracks over the western suburbs. This change is intended to reduce the concentration of flights over some areas but could lead to increased noise for residents in Kenmore, as more flight paths are directed over the suburb.

These changes are part of a broader strategy to share better the noise burden introduced by the city’s new runway, which has been operational since July 2020.

Airservices Australia flight path Brisbane north west Kenmore Brookfield
Photo Credit: Airservices Australia

Proposed Flight Paths

Airservices Australia seeks feedback on the proposed flight paths until 15 September 2024. The concepts are still in the early stages, with detailed population overflight data and noise contours yet to be fully mapped out. 

Affected Suburbs by Set Proposals

  1. Departures Over Land to the West and Northwest
    • Affected Areas: Western and northwestern suburbs.
    • Details:
      • This set addresses redesigning departure paths to reduce noise over western and northwestern areas.
      • Affected areas would include suburbs like Kenmore, Brookfield, Upper Brookfield, The Gap, Ashgrove, and Bardon.
  2. Arrivals Over Land from the North and West
    • Affected Areas: Northern and western suburbs.
    • Details:
      • This set involves redesigning arrival paths to reduce noise over northern and western areas.
      • Likely affected suburbs include Samford Valley, Cedar Creek, Bellbowrie, and Pullenvale.
  3. Departures Over Land to the South and East
    • Affected Areas: Southern and eastern suburbs.
    • Details:
      • This set aims to redesign departure paths to the south and east, potentially impacting suburbs like Woolloongabba, Coorparoo, and Carindale.
  4. Independent Parallel Runway Operations
    • Affected Areas: Suburbs near the parallel runways and areas around Bribie Island.
    • Details:
      • This set focuses on optimizing flight paths for independent parallel runway operations, which could affect Bribie Island and surrounding northern and southern suburbs.
  5. Non-Jet (Turboprop) Arrivals from the North
    • Affected Areas: Redcliffe Peninsula and nearby areas.
    • Details:
      • This set is about redesigning the non-jet arrival path to avoid overflying the Redcliffe Peninsula, directly impacting suburbs like Redcliffe, Margate, and Scarborough.

Kenmore residents and those in other affected areas are encouraged to participate in the consultation process to ensure their concerns are heard.

Airservices Australia flight path to reduce aircraft noise
Photo Credit: Airservices Australia

Community Reaction

Airservices Australia’s move has been met with skepticism from local community groups, who argue that noise sharing is not a real solution to the problem. 

The Brisbane Flight Path Community Alliance (BFPCA), a vocal group advocating for stricter noise controls, has labelled the engagement process as “theatre” and criticised it for prolonging community suffering without implementing meaningful noise abatement measures.



Professor Marcus Foth, chair of BFPCA, emphasised that noise sharing should only be a last resort after exploring all other noise reduction avenues. He and other community leaders are pushing for a curfew and flight caps similar to those in place at Sydney and other major Australian airports. However, these measures are not within the control of Airservices Australia, as they fall under federal jurisdiction.

Published 21-Aug-2024