Airspace restructuring around Sydney, implemented in July ahead of the Western Sydney Airport’s scheduled opening next month, has drawn sharp criticism from pilots and airport operators who describe the new flight paths as unsafe and inefficient. The changes, combined with a shortage of air traffic controllers, have raised concerns not only at Sydney Airport but also at neighbouring Bankstown Airport, where diverse aviation activities—including private jets, flight training, and emergency aircraft operations—converge.

Pilots and operators have filed numerous complaints with the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) and Airservices Australia, citing particularly low-altitude approaches and departures that provide minimal margin for error, as well as an increase in radio frequencies that adds complexity to communications. Rick Pegus, chief executive of Navair private jet operations, criticized the redesign at Bankstown, suggesting it appeared poorly planned. He highlighted altitude restrictions requiring jets to maintain around 2,000 feet for extended distances—approximately 30 nautical miles—as dangerously low, increasing risks posed by terrain proximity, bird strikes, and adverse weather conditions, especially during summer thunderstorms.

“The main issue is the altitude—it’s too low,” Pegus said. He noted that such flight profiles bring faster aircraft nearer to slower-moving planes without guaranteed air traffic control separation. While CASA has responded by trialling a new northern approach to Bankstown, Pegus indicated that no solutions have yet been proposed for approaches from the south and west, leaving those operational concerns unaddressed.

Private pilot Glenn Bridgland echoed these criticisms, describing the airspace as congested and confusing. He explained that procedures designed to keep smaller aircraft clear of controlled Sydney arrivals force them into low, inefficient flight paths. For example, even light jets flying 35 nautical miles north of Sydney are required to descend to about 3,500 feet, a practice Bridgland calls “shockingly inefficient” and unnecessarily burdensome.

Tom Smith, chief executive of Bankstown and Camden Airports, confirmed that air traffic delays are a shared issue among local facilities. In communication with operators, he attributed these delays to a combination of the recent airspace changes, staff shortages, and increased flight demand. Smith said that Airservices Australia expects current resource challenges to persist for roughly six more months and that delays will vary according to airspace use and weather conditions.

An Airservices Australia spokesperson stated that the airspace modifications were developed in close collaboration with stakeholders and under CASA’s regulatory oversight. The agency is reportedly working to address ongoing feedback, clarify operational procedures, and pursue improvements through a formal post-implementation review process.