Melbourne Airport receives queries from residents about aircraft noise and flight paths over the Melbourne area.

We are committed to reducing the impact of aircraft noise and aim to manage these impacts by working closely with the community, aviation partners and the Australian, Victorian and local governments.

Governments, aircraft manufacturers, airline carriers, airline operators and airports all work together to manage noise. We do this by:

1. Reducing noise at the source by improving aircraft technology.
2. Planning for compatible land use by directing incompatible land use — such as homes and schools — away from the airport environment and flight paths, and encouraging compatible land use — such as industrial and commercial uses — in these areas instead.
     
   The State Government implemented land use controls for the area around Melbourne Airport in 1992. This was to ensure the efficient operation of Melbourne Airport both now and in the future, so the airport is not adversely affected by inappropriate developments. Details of land use planning controls can be found here.
3. The airport, Airservices Australia and airlines working together to develop procedures to reduce noise and implementing a range of methods to minimise the number of people affected by aircraft noise. An example might be directing aircraft to utilise flight paths that pass over semi-rural areas during the evening or spreading the use of all available flight paths to lessen the intensity of aircraft noise.
4. Reducing an aircraft’s access to the airport, such as prohibiting or imposing restrictions around noisy aircraft.

Airservices

Airservices is a government-owned corporation providing safe, efficient and environmentally responsible services to the aviation industry. Airservices plays an important role in managing noise and provides a national Noise Complaints and Information Service.

Its role involves:

• Ensuring that flight departures and arrivals are designed to minimise noise impacts on communities around airports
• Providing information about aircraft noise
• Monitoring aircraft noise around major airports

Useful links:

• Airservices WebTrak
• Airservices fact sheets and airport information

Aircraft Noise Ombudsman

The Aircraft Noise Ombudsman oversees the handling of aircraft noise enquiries and complaints, conducts independent reviews of noise complaints handling, and makes recommendations for improvements when necessary.