Airservices Australia and CASA yesterday opened consultation on the new design for the Ballina-Byron controlled airspace.
The documentation that accompanies the proposal includes the in-bound and out-bound flight paths, which will change depending on the status of the R638 restricted airspace at Evans Head to the south.
"The airspace architecture proposes a series of controlled airspace steps," CASA's Office of Airspace Regulation (OAR) states, "commencing with a Control Zone in the immediate vicinity of the airport (7 nm along the extended centre line of either runway end and 3.5 nm laterally) with vertical limits of the controlled zone extending from the surface (SFC) to 1500 ft above mean sea level (AMSL).
"A series of control area steps are then proposed to commence from 1500 ft to 8500 ft AMSL. The steps extend approximately 20 nm to the east, 32 nm to the west, and out to 45 nm to the south-west to capture the main direction of arrivals in approach airspace."
Consultation documents also show a Class D CTR from SFC to 4500, with overlying Class C CTA from 4500 to 8500. Gold Coast CTA to the north of Ballina-Byron will also be lowered from 6500 to 4500 to align the steps.
"The airspace architecture has been designed to contain a series of instrument flight procedures as well as standard arrival and departure paths," the OAR says. "A key principle of the proposed design is to retain the current airspace usage patterns where possible."
Ballina-Byron is expected to be controlled no later than 27 November next year in response to an airspace review OAR conducted in 2022.
The changes have raised concerns for sport and recreational aircraft in the area, which are being seen as shut out of critical airspace.
Consultation will remain open until 25 August. Feedback can be lodged on the CASA Consultation Hub website.