Airspace change process

After you submit your ACP

When we receive your ACP, we will:

• acknowledge receipt
• notify Airservices Australia and Defence (if applicable)
• review your ACP.

Reviewing your ACP

We review your ACP to ensure it contains sufficient information and supporting analysis for us to assess it in terms of:

• safety
• efficiency
• equitable access
• economic and cost impact
• national security
• if the change is realistic and achievable.

We will also consider if the proposed start date leaves enough time for:

• processing
• analysis
• further stakeholder consultation.

We will advise you if the information supplied is adequate to assess the application, or if we require further information.

Safety case

We will consider if your ACP has robust safety documentation to support it. At a minimum, this should include a risk assessment (see below for further details). However, depending on the size and scale of the proposal, we may need more detail. This could include:

• an analysis of the current operating environment
• key existing safety issues should be included
• evidence of consideration of the impact of the change.

We will review the safety case to determine if a residual risk remains for airspace users.

Stakeholder consultation

We will also review evidence that appropriate stakeholder consultation has occurred.

If appropriate, we may also conduct our own consultation or instruct the proponent to conduct more.

Risk assessments and Environmental considerations

We will assess your ACP to ensure you included a risk assessment appropriate to the size and complexity of the proposal.

The risk assessment should take into account the:

• types of airspace users
• density of air traffic
• meteorological conditions
• topography
• other factors that may be relevant.

We will also check there are no airspace/aircraft operation implications for Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 Matters of National Environmental Significance. However, we note that aviation safety is always the top priority.

Cost implications

We will ensure a Regulatory Impact Statement (cost: benefit analysis) is included for major change proposals, which considers the cost implications for all airspace users.

Compliance

We will assess the ACP in accordance with current:

• legalisation
• policy
• procedures.

We will also assemble the supporting legal and aeronautical documentation to give effect to the ACP.

ACP outcomes

We will advise the proponent if the ACP is approved or not approved.

Our powers in relation to ACPs

The OAR has sole responsibility for approving or not approving an ACP. This can be with or without conditions.

Airservices Australia (Airservices) determines the location of air routes. They lodge ACPs to implement changes to air routes. As part of the air route planning, Airservices assesses the potential effects of aircraft noise.

Airservices and other approved flight procedure designers assess the potential effects of aircraft noise. If an ACP is required to contain the flight paths, the proponent must include the assessment of aircraft noise.

Publishing ACPs