From 1 September 2010 older, noisy jet aircraft will be banned from Australia’s major airports, the latest move by the Rudd Labor Government to minimise the impact of aircraft noise on nearby communities.

This course of action was first foreshadowed in our aviation Green Paper (December 2008) and then restated as government policy in the aviation White Paper which I released last December.

Under the new regulation, the ban on older, ‘marginally noise-compliant’ jets such as Boeing 727s will be phased in.

From 1 July 2010, no new services using these types of aircraft will be allowed at Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth, Adelaide, Hobart, Darwin, Cairns, Gold Coast, Essendon, Newcastle (Williamtown), Avalon and Canberra airports.

From 1 September 2010, all existing services will cease at Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, and Perth.

For example, from September the noisy Boeing 727 freight plane that currently flies over thousands of houses in Sydney late on weeknights will no longer do so.

Marginally compliant aircraft are predominantly used in the air freight industry and have been an ongoing source of concern for residents around Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth airports.

These aircraft were certified to operate following modifications to meet aircraft noise standards issued in the 1970s. Most have been fitted with ‘hush kits’ which entitles them to a ‘marginally compliant’ rating under the 1977 regulation.

The new regulation also makes provision for a marginally compliant aircraft to operate in cases of emergency and, in limited cases, where a flight is in the public interest.

Airports and air freight operators have been advised of the Government’s intention to have the new regulation in place by 1 July and my Department will work with industry to ensure its smooth introduction.