SYD capacity in spotlight

SYDNEY Airport’s capacity constraints and resulting knock- on effects on other capitals have become key issues put to the Productivity Commission as it investigates regulation of the country’s major gateways.

In a submission to the inquiry lodged yesterday, the Tourism & Transport Forum (TTF) calls for a major overhaul of landing restrictions at Sydney Airport in order to boost its capacity and reduce the impact of delays on the national network.

“With caps on hourly movements and a lack of flexibility to recover from disruption, Sydney’s restrictions actually compound initial delays, often spilling them into the national network for the rest of the day, and in some cases well into the next,” said the TTF’s ceo Margy Osmond

“The most frequent and immediate casualty is the eastern seaboard, with Melbourne and Brisbane in particular constantly caught in Sydney’s backwash.”

The TTF’s submission is based on its recent Connecting the Dots report on improving the national air network, which focusses on easing congestions in the NSW capital ( TD 04 Jul).

It gives eight recommendations, including replacing hourly flight caps with an overall cap on movements, allowing curfew dispensations when weather causes disruptions, and provisions to allow extra services by noise compliant aircraft.