STOP FLIGHT PATH IMPACTS

ILS usage

Stop Flight Path Impacts continues to challenge Airservices Australia about unacceptable ILS usage numbers that appear questionable in meeting stringent restrictions set by the AAT in 2017.

2024 figures

The Gold Coast ILS flight path was used 1278 times in 2024. Airservices Australia provided these figures (tables below) following the May 2025 Gold Coast Airport Community Aviation Consultation Group (CACG) meeting.

Ten per cent of uses fell outside the permitted ILS usage conditions.  Of these, around two thirds were due to pilots requesting to use the ILS while the remaining third was light plane training outside permitted hours of 9am-5pm. 

Airservices Australia advised CACG in May 2025 it does not currently record why pilots request the use of the ILS outside approved criteria. We request they action this issue to provide “why”.

While we acknowledge the 2024 ILS data provides the greatest level of transparency in the 6 years since the ILS started, we look forward to Airservices’ continued commitment to ILS numbers and reasons for its use, including follow up of airlines using the ILS outside set criteria, real time recording of reasons for ILS uses within or outside of permitted criteria and regular reporting on such.

The 1278 ILS uses in 2024 are a fraction of the 5,000 annual uses predicted by Airservices and Gold Coast Airport’s ILS submission to Government in 2015. That 1278 number would have been far higher if not for our challenge of the ILS in the AAT, which secured strict, enforceable conditions on its use.

Remember, the Airport's stated sole purpose of the installation of the ILS, as detailed in the draft Master Development Plan in 2015, was to reduce the adverse weather-related diversion rate.

previous data

Airservices Australia’s Gold Coast Airport ILS usage data for November 2023 to February 2024 showed that over the four month period, the ILS was used 462 times. There are strict rules governing its use and we had questions about the reasons for nearly a quarter of these. Many were reported as being required by the pilot with no further explanation.

Following are some Airservices Australia’s responses to some common questions we asked on behalf of community supporters about past usage of the ILS flight path:

Q: Why was the ILS flight path “operationally required”? 

A: Airservices advised that uses have included pilots requesting an ILS landing due to an unserviceability issue on the aircraft that would not allow RNP type approaches.

Q: Why the ILS was not nominated by pilots but was used due to “low visibility”?

A: Airservices advised that Air Traffic Control must make a decision to nominate the use of the ILS flight path well in advance of an aircraft arriving at the airport. This will often require a prediction by the controller of the weather conditions about 30 minutes prior to landing.

Remember, lodge a complaint every time you believe aircraft may not be following the guidelines set by the AAT found here. You can lodge your complaint online at this link found here or call 1800 802 584 10am-4pm Monday to Friday (Sydney hours).

Supporters have advised the have diligently reported ILS infringements to Airservices, only to be informed that further complaints may not be responded to. DO NOT be discouraged by this off hand response, as complaints are recorded and discussed at airport meetings, at which one of our members attends. If you see the ILS being used in fine weather, report it!