Airside Safety
DISTRICT PLAN

The District Plan is the main document dealing with the management of noise from Wellington Airport. View Airport rules section of the District Plan. Rules are grouped into the following areas:

Aircraft operations in general

The airport has a 'quota' of aircraft noise that it is permitted to produce. This is set at 65 dBA Ldn at the Air Noise Boundary. The Air Noise Boundary is shown in the attached link.

The Air Noise Boundary limits the amount of aircraft noise that can be generated by aircraft operations at Wellington Airport. The air noise boundary also marks the outer boundary of the area within which land use controls apply to some new residential development.

Night flying operations

A curfew operates at Wellington Airport, basically from midnight to 6am. There are several exemptions to this:

  • Disrupted domestic arrivals are permitted up until 0030.
  • International arrivals are permitted up until 0100.
  • Disrupted international arrivals are permitted up until 0130.
  • In statutory holiday periods operations are permitted for an additional 60 minutes
  • Aircraft using the airport as a planned alternative to landing at a scheduled airport
  • Aircraft landing in an emergency
  • The operation of emergency flights
  • The operation of unscheduled flights to meet the needs of a national or civil defence emergency
  • Aircraft carrying heads of state and/or senior dignitaries acting in their official capacity
  • No more than 4 aircraft movements per night with noise levels not exceeding 65dBA Lmax (1sec) at or beyond the air noise boundary.

A disrupted flight is defined as:

A flight which is delayed on arrival or departure at Wellington through unforeseen circumstances that could not reasonably be catered for by prudent timetabling, such delay having originated at Wellington or within the previous 4 sectors as a result of:

    Aircraft
  • Weather
  • Air Traffic Control
  • Closure of a departure or destination aerodrome
  • Diversion for in-flight medical condition or flight safety reason to another aerodrome
  • Aircraft unserviceability
  • The aircraft being required to wait for crew from a flight delayed as a result of any of the above

Engine testing

Aircraft engines can be tested:

  • During the hours of 0600 – 2000
  • To carry out essential unscheduled maintenance between 2000 - 2300

Outside of these hours engine testing is generally not permitted, except under certain conditions

Ground power units and auxiliary power units

These are machines that provide auxiliary power to aircraft.

Land based activities

Noise levels are set for any activity within the airport area other than from the above.

CIVIL AVIATION AUTHORITY

The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has prepared rules governing the operation of aircraft in flight, to limit the effect of aircraft noise on people. The link below takes you to the General Operating and Flight Rules for aircraft:
http://www.caa.govt.nz/rules/Rule_Consolidations/Part_091_Consolidation.pdf

Specific rules have been prepared for aircraft flying into and out and in the vicinity of Wellington Airport, see link below:
http://www.caa.govt.nz/rules/Rule_Consolidations/Part_093_Consolidation.pdf