16.0 Long Term Development of Aviation in the Sydney Region 16.0 Long Term Development of Aviation in the Sydney Region
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16.0 LONG TERM DEVELOPMENT OF AVIATION IN THE SYDNEY REGION 16.0 LONG TERM DEVELOPMENT OF AVIATION IN THE SYDNEY REGION Key points • Sydney Airport supports the three core elements of the joint study: – There are opportunities for further apron and – Optimise the use of Sydney Airport as the terminal development beyond those expected primary airport for Sydney and NSW for to be developed by 2033 to the north of international, domestic and regional passengers Terminal 1, east of Terminal 2, west of the new and related freight by ensuring that it operates international facility in the existing Qantas Jet efficiently and can grow to its maximum Base and in the South East Sector of the airport practical operational capacity – Given the commitment by the federal and – Protect and optimise the use of other existing state governments to progress WestConnex airports serving the Sydney Basin together with projects to improve ground – Select a site for a supplementary airport access in and around the airport, significant and ensure operations commence at the capacity exists to meet ground transport appropriate time in the future in line with demands demand • Reviewing and modernising a number of the • Sydney Airport will continue to be the most regulations in consultation with the community important airport for the Sydney region and for to reflect the significant environmental benefits Australia, both for passengers and related freight of existing and future quieter, new generation activities aircraft could further improve airport efficiency and productivity while maintaining or improving the • Sydney Airport’s new development plan has been airport’s overall noise impact. Sydney Airport could designed to ensure that the airport can continue to also operate more efficiently with: enable the forecast growth of air travel for tourism – Increased focus at Sydney Airport on core and trade well beyond the planning period passenger activities, with development of • Beyond the planning period of the Master Plan, non-core civilian use such as supplementary there is substantial further potential to grow traffic business and general aviation, helicopter and at Sydney Airport to meet demand: specialised freight capacity at RAAF Base - Independent experts have performed Richmond operating on an integrated basis sensitivity analysis to demonstrate that Sydney with Sydney Airport Airport could accommodate the 2033 traffic – Enhanced land transport options for forecast in the Master Plan, the 2029 traffic passengers, staff and other users forecast in the 2009 Master Plan and the 2035 • The development of other existing airports and, in traffic forecast published in the Joint Study on time, a supplementary airport needs to be demand- Aviation Capacity for the Sydney Region (the led, incremental and flexible to changing market joint study) demand. Further, any additional aviation capacity – The forecast schedule for 2033 in the Master must be developed as one system to maximise Plan does not use all of the runway slots planning and investment available within the existing regulations. In addition, the infrastructure capacity of Sydney Airport comfortably exceeds the operational regulations 208 Sydney Airport Master Plan 2033 Sydney is Australia’s led, incremental, flexible to changing market demand, and treated as one system to maximise planning and international, commercial investment. The most successful international examples and financial centre, and its of secondary airports are where these airports operate as a system. foremost tourist destination. 16.1 Optimising the use of Sydney Access to an efficient Sydney Airport Airport for passenger and To support the social and economic growth of Sydney, freight operations will be as NSW and Australia, it is important to maximise the potential of Sydney Airport, which is: important in the future as it • Ideally located within 8km of the CBD and 10km is today. of major tourist destinations, as well as the closest airport to the secondary business districts in Parramatta, North Sydney and Macquarie Park, and the vast majority of resident travellers While Sydney Airport’s development plan ensures the continued ability to meet forecast growth under a • Well supported by existing infrastructure, including range of scenarios beyond the planning horizon of the passenger terminals, fuel supply infrastructure, Master Plan, there are a number of opportunities to freight terminals, surrounding logistics and airline further enhance productivity and efficiency at one of support infrastructure, air traffic management Australia's largest infrastructure assets and the primary facilities, and ground transport connections international gateway. • Currently facilitating the introduction of new In particular, Sydney Airport, in keeping with the findings generation quieter aircraft, which have smaller of the joint study, could generate significant benefits for noise footprints than the older aircraft they are passengers and the economy with: replacing, through the collaborative development of new technology standards and procedures with • Increased focus at Sydney Airport on core Airservices Australia and a number of airlines passenger and related freight operations, with the development of non-core civilian use such as The importance of investment in the capacity of Sydney supplementary business and general aviation and Airport is supported by international experience with specialised freight capacity at RAAF Base Richmond multi-airport systems. A draft policy guide developed operating on an integrated basis with Sydney for the US Federal Aviation Administration in April 20001 Airport recommended that: • Enhanced land transport options for passengers, “when additional capacity is required in a region, it staff and other users is most reasonable to site the immediate addition at the primary airport when it serves as a major hub for The development of other existing airports and, in some airlines”. time, a supplementary airport needs to be demand- 1 Planning Multi-Airport Systems in Metropolitan Regions in the 1990s Sydney Airport Master Plan 2033 209 Sydney Airport welcomes the joint study Additionally, given the interconnected nature of the recommendations to maximise the efficient operational national aviation network, delays created at any productivity at one of Australia's largest infrastructure major airport in Australia can significantly disrupt assets. As identified by the joint study and numerous daily operations. Introducing greater flexibility in the reports generated over the last 15 years, Sydney Airport application of operating restrictions can help reduce currently operates with a number of inflexible and, in delays and clear backlogs in a more timely manner at all some cases, out-dated restrictions designed to deliver eastern seaboard airports in the network. positive environmental benefits to the community. This could potentially: However, the inflexible and outdated nature of the existing operational restrictions deliver suboptimal • Through alignment of the regulations with the outcomes for the community than could be achieved by legislation allow new flights for quieter, next more modern regulations that reflect and incorporate generation aircraft that could inject more than $1 technology improvements. billion each year in to the economy While some residents and councils support maintaining • Improve on-time performance and reduce the the existing operational regulations at Sydney Airport impact of weather delays across Australia in their current form, there was significant support • Increase the potential for noise sharing and create from other residents, airlines, tourism and trade more predictable periods of respite groups, and the NSW Government to explore reform • Reduce circling in holding patterns, reducing both and modernisation of the operating environment. The emissions and aircraft noise larger key stakeholders generally support both the enhancement of operational regulations at Sydney While Sydney Airport welcomes the recommendations Airport and the staged development of a commercially of both the joint study and the Visitor Economy viable second Sydney airport in line with demand. Taskforce, any reform to the current operational restrictions must be accompanied by a comprehensive While Sydney Airport’s infrastructure development stakeholder engagement process to ensure the views of plans, including the ground transport plans, will help to the community and industry are incorporated. achieve the joint study’s recommendations, the ability to fully maximise efficient operation and productivity 16.1.1 Focus on core activities is significantly reduced by the inflexibility of current To support tourism, trade and economic growth for operating restrictions. Sydney, NSW and Australia, the priorities for Sydney Enhancements to reflect technological and industry Airport are to facilitate international, domestic and improvements that have occurred over the past regional passenger and related freight operations. decades, such as the development of quieter, new Both passenger and related freight operations are generation aircraft and precision air traffic management vital economic activities that contribute significantly to technologies, would improve the ability to promote the global business and to the Sydney, NSW and Australian sound development of civil aviation in Australia at almost economies. Sydney Airport is Australia’s largest zero economic cost. transport and logistics hub. Some 34 international,