Runway Safety

Sydney Airport regards aviation safety as paramount and is committed to complying with Australia's stringent aviation safety regulations, as set by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA).

Following runway incidents at overseas airports, CASA reviewed and changed Australia's runway safety regulations, in line with international aviation standards.

As a result, the provision of larger runway safety areas is now a mandatory requirement for all runways being used by jet aircraft. Runway safety areas are cleared areas of ground located at each end of a runway. They are intended to minimise the harm to passengers in the unlikely event that an aircraft over runs or lands short of a runway.

Sydney Airport has three runways – two north-south runways and one east-west runway – so six larger runway safety areas are required in total.

Five extensions were completed in 2006, one at each end of the north-south runways and one at the eastern end of the east-west runway. In order to fully comply with CASA's new regulations, Sydney airport must now extend the sixth and final runway safety area at the western end of the east-west runway.

Importantly, completing this safety upgrade will also ensure the east-west runway continues to be available into the future.  This project will therefore secure for the long-term aircraft noise sharing and airfield operations.

PROJECT UPDATE - OCTOBER 2009

Construction of Sydney Airport’s larger runway safety area at the western end of the east-west runway is on schedule. 

It is now twelve months since work commenced on the major safety upgrade to the east-west runway. Phase 1 of the project was completed on schedule in mid-June 2009 and Phase 2 is now well underway.

Since mid-June, aircraft began to once again use the east-west runway to take off to the west and land from the east during the early morning (6am-7am) and evening (7pm-11pm) noise sharing periods. Take-offs to the west have also occurred when weather conditions required the east-west runway to be used.

The project has now reached a major milestone, with the runway safety area now complying with the Australian Government’s safety requirements.

This means that aircraft using the east-west runway will again be able to land from the west and take-off to the east, subject to weather conditions.

Use of the east-west runway between 6am-7am and 7pm-11pm will therefore return to the arrangements that were in place before the project began. There will be no change to the airprot curfew or to the 80 aircraft movemnets per hour cap.

Construction activities during the period leading up to Christmas will be focused on the airport perimeter road, with work occurring during both day and night shifts.

The construction is scheduled to be complete in March/April 2010.

Sydney Airport apologises to people who will be affected by this vital runway safety project, but it is essential that we comply with the Australian Government's air safety regulations.

To download a copy of the June 2009 Project Update brochure – which has been distributed to around 160,000 affected households – please click on the link below:

  Runway Safety Project Update (June 2009) (317.42kB)

To download further information on the impact of high cross-winds, please click on the link below:

 Fact sheet– Cross-winds and Construction of the New Runway End Safety Area (84.40kB)