Night flying restrictions or night-time curfews, [1] including night flight bans, are any regulations or legislation imposed by a governing body to limit the ground-perceived exposure to aircraft noise pollution during the night hours, when the majority of residents are trying to sleep. Such regulations may include restrictions to available flight paths, or prohibitions against takeoffs, or prohibitions against takeoffs and landings, or prohibitions against ground operations (engine runups or taxiing).[ citation needed]
Night flying restrictions are common at airports in Europe.[ clarification needed] Most airports in Germany have restrictions and curfews during the night.[ citation needed] Several night flying restrictions including full night flight bans have been introduced in order to ensure that residents living near airports can sleep at night.
Curfews are not as common at international airports in Oceania as they are in Europe, though some airports do still have curfews if they surround densely-populated suburbs.
Curfews at Australian international airports | |||
---|---|---|---|
Airport | State/territory | Curfew? | Notes |
Adelaide | South Australia | Yes (11:00pm to 6:00am) | [7] |
Brisbane | Queensland | No | Curfew proposed, [8] objected to by airport. [9] [10] |
Cairns | Queensland | No | [11] |
Canberra | Australian Capital Territory | No | [12] |
Darwin International Airport | Northern Territory | No | [13] |
Gold Coast | Queensland | Yes (11:00pm to 6:00am) | [14] |
Hobart | Tasmania | No | [15] |
Melbourne (Tullamarine) | Victoria | No | [16] |
Newcastle (Williamtown) | New South Wales | Yes (10:00pm to 6:00am) | [17] |
Perth | Western Australia | No | Curfew previously proposed, rejected multiple times. [18] [19] [20] |
Sunshine Coast | Queensland | No | While there is no curfew at Sunshine Coast Airport, approval is required for aircraft to take off or land at the airport from 11:00pm and 5:30am. [21] |
Sydney (Kingsford-Smith) | New South Wales | Yes (11:00pm to 6:00am) | Despite being the busiest airport in Oceania and a hub for the Asia-Pacific region, Sydney Airport has a curfew because it is located in the densely-populated suburb of Mascot. [22] |
Western Sydney | New South Wales | No | Western Sydney Airport is currently under construction. However, due to it being located away from densely-populated suburbs, it will not have a curfew, unlike Sydney Airport which does have a curfew. [23] [24] |
Curfews at New Zealand international airports | ||
---|---|---|
Airport | Curfew? | Notes |
Auckland | No | |
Christchurch | No | [25] |
Queenstown | Yes (10:00pm to 7:00am) | Only approved operators may operate outside daylight hours. [26] |
Wellington | Yes (midnight to 6:00am) | International arrivals allowed until 1:00am. [27] |