Moorabbin Airport Runway Code Change

Moorabbin Airport Corporation (MAC) is publishing reductions in Aerodrome Reference Code (ARC) for two of its runways - 17R/35L and 17L/35R.

Purpose

Moorabbin Airport formalised the coding of all runways to Code 1 or Code 2 in its 2021 Master Plan, with a reduction in ARC for Runway 17L/35R from Code 3 to Code 2. Key drivers of this change include:

• 70+ years of smaller general aviation aircraft operations
• the long-term aviation development plan for the airport has an ab-initio flight training focus. This activity is overwhelmingly conducted by aircraft requiring a Code 1 or Code 2 runway.
• the airport's runways are rated at 5700 kilograms and designed for light general aviation aircraft. Code 3 runways generally support Code C aircraft, larger aircraft carrying 80+ passengers and a weight of 30 tonnes. No aviation customers operate Code C aircraft at the airport or have commercial plans to do so in the future.
• material pavement works would be required to support Code C aircraft and are estimated to cost in excess of $50 million. Since privatisation no aircraft operator has been identified to invest this amount
• additional safety issues require management and mitigation where higher performing Code C aircraft are scheduled with smaller and slower flight training aircraft and ab initio flight training pilots
• there is no identified community support for larger aircraft, early morning and evening passenger flights of 80+ seater aircraft.
• certainty of the noise profile for community with no larger aircraft entering the environment.

Proposal

The attached submission below contains more detailed information regarding the planned changes.

Relevant documentation