We’re seeking feedback from the aviation industry on proposed airspace changes in the Bankstown region.
Date
The proposed changes aim to ensure continued safety by reducing aviation congestion and providing more equitable access to airspace for aircraft as Sydney air traffic continues to grow.
We’re working in parallel with Airservices Australia on the proposed airspace change. While we are seeking feedback from the aviation industry, Airservices Australia is engaging with the local community, including businesses and residents.
The airspace in the Sydney region has experienced sustained growth in air traffic over the years. Given where aircraft can operate when flying in and out of Bankstown Airport due to controlled airspace, there is congestion in the airspace to the north and west of the airport.
We’ve worked with Airservices Australia to propose reclassifying a small portion of Sydney Airport’s controlled airspace to uncontrolled.
This allows us to propose introducing 2 daytime visual flight rules (VFR) lanes to the southeast of Bankstown Airport within this newly classified uncontrolled airspace. These new lanes will be able to be used in addition to the existing north and west VFR routes.
This area is currently only used by emergency services, law enforcement agencies or those operating under Instrument Flight Rules (IFR). These operators will continue to have access to this airspace.
We’re seeking feedback to understand the aviation industry’s issues, observations or positions regarding the:
- safe accommodation of air traffic in the region
- proposed introduction of the VFR lanes
- proposed airspace design and procedures.
The proposal and feedback received will then be formally considered under airspace regulations and a decision made.
The proposal has considered previous industry engagement and historical data across the Sydney and Bankstown region including recent growth trends, future predictions, traffic statistics and an overview of incidents and occurrences.
We encourage the aviation industry to provide feedback on the proposal at the CASA Consultation hub by 22 October.