The Long Term Operating Plan (LTOP)
The Sydney Airport Long Term Operating Plan is the program which has been introduced to address Sydney Airport's noise problems through redistributing aircraft noise. It was drawn up through a major consultative process during 1996 and 1997. The Plan is designed to ensure that aircraft movements are maximised over water and non residential land. Where overflight of residential areas cannot be avoided the noise is shared between communities.
LTOP Review
- Supplementary Report 2006 [
PDF: 1893 KB] - Review of LTOP Performance March 2005 [PDF: 668 KB]
LTOP targets
The LTOP has the following noise sharing targets for aircraft movements
- 17% of movements to the North of the Airport
- 13% of movements to the East of the Airport
- 15% of movements to the West of the Airport
- 55% of movements to the South of the Airport
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Runway End Impact Diagram [PDF: 185 KB] |
Flight Paths
Under the Plan aircraft departing from the Airport to the south continue to pass either through the Botany Bay Heads or over the Kurnell Sandhills and thus avoid overflying residential areas. Departure flight paths off the other runways have been spread to reduce the concentration of noise over a small number of populated areas which existed under the previous flight path arrangements.
Respite
A key feature of the Plan is the runway rotation system. This system involves different combinations of runways (runway modes) being used at different times of the day to provide, as far as possible, individual areas with periods of respite from aircraft noise. Noise sharing modes must be used at the airport, except when weather or unusual traffic conditions prevent this occurring, during the following hours on weekdays:
- 6am to 7am
- 11am to 3pm
- 8pm to curfew
Longer noise sharing hours apply at weekends. Noise sharing modes should be used at other times if the conditions permit.
FOR YEAR 2000
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