Night flying restrictions explained

Night flying restrictions or night-time curfews, 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).

List

Europe

Night flying restrictions are common at airports in Europe. Most airports in Germany have restrictions and curfews during the night. 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.

• Budapest Ferenc Liszt International Airport, Hungary: A night flight ban between midnight and 5:00 was introduced in August 2019 by agreement between the city of Budapest and the Ministry of Transport. Nearby residents received a government subsidy to install soundproof windows.^[1]
• Cologne Bonn Airport, Germany: In April 2012, the Government of North Rhine-Westphalia introduced a night flight ban for passenger aircraft from midnight until 05:00.
• Frankfurt Airport, Germany: In October 2011, the Supreme Court of Hesse imposed a ban on night flights between 23:00 and 05:00. This decision was upheld by the Federal Administrative Court in Leipzig in April 2012.^[2] During the morning and evening periods (2200-2300 and 0500-0600) a limited number of flights are allowed, providing they comply with ICAO Chapter 4 noise regulations. Further restrictions apply to noisier aircraft.^[3]
• London airports: The night restrictions for Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted define a night period, 2300–0700 hours, and a night quota period, 2330–0600 hours. During the night period, the noisiest types of aircraft (classified as QC/4, QC/8 or QC/16 under the Quota Count system) may not be scheduled to land or to take off (other than in the most exceptional circumstances, such as an emergency landing). In addition, during the night quota period movements by most other types of aircraft (including the new QC/0.25 category) will be restricted by a movements limit and a noise quota, which are set for each season.^[4]
• Zurich Airport, Switzerland: A strict night-time curfew has been in force since 29 July 2010 between 23:30 and 6:00; the time between 23:00 and 23:30 may only be used to reduce backlogs of delayed flights.^[5]

Oceania

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.

Australia

Curfews at Australian international airports
Airport	State/territory	Curfew?	Notes
Adelaide			^[6]
Brisbane			Curfew proposed,^[7] objected to by airport.^[8] ^[9]
Cairns			^[10]
Canberra			^[11]
Darwin International Airport			^[12]
Gold Coast			^[13]
Hobart			^[14]
Melbourne			^[15]
Newcastle			^[16]
Perth			Curfew previously proposed, rejected multiple times.^[17] ^[18] ^[19]
Sunshine Coast			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.^[20]
Sydney (Kingsford-Smith)			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.^[21]
Western Sydney			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.^[22] ^[23]

New Zealand

Curfews at New Zealand international airports
Airport	Curfew?	Notes
Auckland
Christchurch		^[24]
Queenstown		^[25]
Wellington		International arrivals allowed until 1:00am.^[26]

See also

• Short-haul flight ban

External links

• Night flying restrictions at London airports
• Night flying restrictions at Sydney airport

Notes and References

1. News: Budapest to Introduce Night Flight Ban in August . Hungary Today . 23 April 2019 . 22 October 2020.
2. Web site: Night flight bans put focus on noise management . Airport Business . 29 June 2012 . 22 October 2020.
3. AIP Germany. Version 06/16 (2016, May 26). AD 2 EDDF 1-16 (2.20.2.1.4).
4. http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20090607023527/http://www.dft.gov.uk/press/speechesstatements/statements/nightflyingrestrictionsathea5940 DfT statement
5. Web site: Night flight ban . Zurich Airport . 22 October 2020.
6. https://www.adelaideairport.com.au/corporate/community/curfew-information/
7. https://greens.org.au/news/media-release/greens-announce-bill-impose-curfew-late-nights-flights-brisbane-airport
8. https://newsroom.bne.com.au/cost-to-regional-queensland-of-brisbane-caps--curfew/
9. https://www.bne.com.au/sites/default/files/docs/Chapter%203%20Brisbane%20Airport.pdf
10. https://www.drivenow.com.au/travel-centre/cairns-airport-guide.jspc
11. https://www.canberraairport.com.au/corporate/community/aircraft-noise
12. https://www.darwinairport.com.au/sites/default/files/2022-11/dia_2017_master_plan_-_digital_version.pdf
13. https://www.goldcoastairport.com.au/contact-information/faqs
14. https://hobartairport.com.au/corporate/about-us/
15. https://www.melbourneairport.com.au/corporate/airlines#
16. https://www.newcastleairport.com.au/flights/itinerant-aircraft/
17. https://medium.com/@planetalk/perth-airport-does-not-need-a-curfew-and-here-s-why-f67676c94179
18. https://thewest.com.au/news/aviation/perth-airport-curfew-could-cost-wa-economy-46-billion-ng-b88883687z
19. http://www.bom.gov.au/aviation/data/education/reference-card-ypph.pdf
20. https://www.sunshinecoastairport.com.au/corporate/community-and-environment/noise-management/
21. https://www.sydneyairport.com.au/info-sheet/opening-hours Opening Hours
22. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-02-14/western-sydney-aerotropolis-flight-paths-unfair-councils-say/103464184 Western Sydney Aerotropolis flight paths unfair councils say
23. https://westernsydney.com.au/faqs
24. Web site: Mitigating the Impact of Noise - Christchurch Airport . 2024-06-04 . www.christchurchairport.co.nz . en-US.
25. Web site: Aviation Services & Charges . 2024-06-04 . Queenstown Airport . en-US.
26. Web site: Airport noise . 2024-06-04 . www.wellingtonairport.co.nz . en-nz.