The problems continue for Brisbane Airport’s new runway as complaints pile up from schools and parents.

Yesterday was the one-year anniversary of the airport’s newest runway, which has been fraught with complaints over noise from planes on its flight paths.

Research by the Brisbane Flight Path Community Alliance (BFPCA) indicates around 50 schools will experience regular disruptions from aircraft noise, impacting more than 50,000 students.

BFPCA Chair David Diamond told Bill McDonald the numbers are concerning, as peer-reviewed research indicates high levels of aircraft noise impair children’s cognition.

“Schools exposed to high levels of aircraft noise are disadvantaged and it’s not a healthy educational environment, and that’s a fact.

“The flight paths encroach all of Brisbane – it’s not just the inner suburbs.”

Brisbane Airport Corporation denied claims it originally estimated just nine schools would be impacted by the flight paths.

“The EIS predicted (in 2005) that at the time of opening (then estimated as 2015), the new flight paths would affect nine additional schools within the n70 noise contour,” a BAC spokesperson said in a statement.

But Mr Diamond said estimated noise levels across the board were underestimated.

“We know that their noise forecasting is totally wrong … so it will be absolutely more than nine.

“We’ve already got complaints, when it’s half the traffic of pre-COVID. This is only the start.”

Press PLAY below to hear the full interview 

See the full statement from Brisbane Airport Corporation below: 

“Brisbane Airport Corporation (BAC) stands by the comprehensive Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) developed for the new runway project that was approved by the federal government in 2007.

“The below statement by BFPCA is false:

“We knew BAC’s estimate of nine schools affected was nowhere near the actual number of schools underneath flight paths.”

“The EIS does not state that only nine schools are under flight paths. The EIS predicted (in 2005) that at the time of opening (then estimated as 2015), the new flight paths would affect nine additional schools within the n70 noise contour.

“BAC welcomes the Post Implementation Review (PIR) that will be conducted by Airservices Australia.”

Image: Getty