Airport Operations
At Essendon Fields Airport safety is our highest priority. Safe practice must be fundamental to all our operating procedures, and most importantly in the way we behave. EAPL is committed to developing, implementing, maintaining and constantly improving strategies and processes to ensure that all our aviation activities take place under a balanced allocation of organisational resources, aimed at achieving the highest level of safety performance while delivering our services. All staff members are accountable for the delivery of this highest level of safety performance.
Our commitment is to:
» Support a positive safety culture by providing appropriate and adequate resources that fosters safe practices, encourages effective safety reporting, action and communication. This includes promoting the physical and psychological health and wellbeing of our employees.
» Define accountability and responsibility, objectives and targets for employees, contractors and customers to meet the requirements of the organisation’s Integrated Safety Management System.
» Provide support and training to all employees to continually enhance a positive safety culture and ensure that employees are adequately prepared and supported to carry out allocated tasks and responsibilities and raise awareness of legal and other requirements.
» Identify hazards and near misses to eliminate or mitigate incidents before they occur in order to protect our people, property and environment.
» Report all hazards and incidents and act promptly to provide support, take preventative action and share learnings.
» Review our Safety performance through analysing risks, incidents, hazards and share this knowledge with staff, customers and stakeholders.
» Protect employees, contractors and customers who report a safety concern through the hazard reporting system, unless such disclosure indicates, beyond any reasonable doubt, an illegal act, gross negligence or deliberate or willful disregard of regulations or procedures.
» Act on non-compliance and behaviours inconsistent with this policy.
» Comply with and, where appropriate, exceed legislative and regulatory requirements and standards in respect of our operations and activities.
This Safety Policy applies to all workers, contractors, and visitors with activities occurring across Essendon Fields.
Aircraft noise will always arise as part of an airport’s operation, and while modern aircraft are becoming quieter, considerable ongoing attention is required to manage the noise associated with an airport.
Community members seeking information about our consultation approach, flight paths, curfew hours and airport noise complaints process, please click here.
Aerodrome Landing Fees
FEES & CHARGES
The current FY27 Aerodrome Landing Fees came into effect on 1 July 2026 and can be downloaded by clicking on the following link:
Essendon Fields Aerodrome Charges (effective 1 July 2026)
Conditions of Use
By using the aeronautical infrastructure at Essendon Fields Airport, you accept the Conditions of Use, which can be downloaded by clicking on the following link:
CONDITIONS OF USE (Effective from 7 November 2025)
Annexure B – Information Form for Aeronautical Infrastructure Users
Annexure C – Notification of Aircraft Details
Aircraft Engine Ground Runs Procedure
Northern Apron Aircraft Operations
Non-scheduled Air Transport Operators Passenger Declaration & Online Form
Essendon Airport charges Non-scheduled Air Transport operators for using the airport terminal facilities. This requires all Non-scheduled Air Transport operators declare the number of passengers they carry to and from the airport. Details of these charges are included in the Conditions of Use, Airport Access Control and the Airports Fees and Charges.
The passengers carried on a Non-scheduled Air Transport Service must be declared by the Non-scheduled Air Transport Operator within 5 business days of the end of each month.
Operators can submit the required information via our online declaration form:
Information for airport operators or contractors with an operational need for an airside access fob, gate remote or airside driving license can be found by clicking here.
Essendon Airport Pty Ltd (EAPL) and Essendon Fields Pty Ltd (EFPL) require certain people who are working at the airport to undertake induction programmes. There are two inductions programmes available – Airside Induction and Contractor Induction.
Below is a guide as to what induction/s you are required to complete if you are working at Essendon Fields Airport (EFA).
| Personnel | Contractor Induction | Airside Induction |
| Contractors/Subcontractors/Consultants working airside and within hangars | Y | Y |
| Contractors/Subcontractors working landside | Y | N |
| Persons applying for a YMEN ASIC | N | Y |
| Persons applying for airside access | N | Y |
| Persons applying for authority to drive airside | N | Y |
| Aviation tenants and employees | N | Y |
| VIC card holders (non-contractors) | N | N |
To access the induction portal, click here
In addition to the induction programmes, EAPL has also developed the Working at Essendon Fields Airport manual, which details the safety and security requirements detailed in the Airside Induction training programme. Persons who are required to undertake the induction training are also required to familiarise themselves with this document. A copy can be downloaded below:
Protecting the airspace around Essendon Fields Airport is essential to maintaining safe, efficient and predictable aircraft operations now and into the future. Objects and activities near an airport can create aviation safety hazards and can limit aircraft arrival and departure capability — including activities well beyond the immediate runway approaches. Find out more here.
Airspace around leased Federal airports is protected under the Airports Act 1996 and the Airports (Protection of Airspace) Regulations 1996. The protection of airspace is essential in order to provide a safe and predictable environment for the arrival and departure of aircraft using an airport.
National and international standards have been adopted which define two sets of invisible surfaces above the ground. These surfaces are:
- Obstacle Limitation Surface (OLS) and
- Procedures for Air Navigation Services – Aircraft – Operations (PANS-OPS)
The OLS is generally the lowest surface and is designed to provide protection for aircraft flying into or out of the airport when the pilot is flying by sight. The PANS-OPS surface is generally above the OLS and is designed to safeguard an aircraft from collision with obstacles when the aircraft’s flight may be guided solely by instruments, in conditions of poor visibility.
Any activity that infringes an airport’s protected airspace is called a “controlled activity” and requires approval before it can be carried out. Controlled activities include the following:
- Long term activities including structures, such as buildings, intruding into the protected airspace
- Short term (no longer than 3 months) activities such as cranes intruding into the protected airspace
- Any activities causing intrusions into the protected airspace through glare from artificial light or reflected sunlight, air turbulence from stacks or vents, smoke, dust, steam or other gases or particulate matter.
The Regulations provide for the airport operator to approve short-term activities intruding the OLS. The Department of Infrastructure and Regional Development approves long term activities and short-term intrusions of the PANS-OPS surface. Long term intrusions of the PANS-OPS surface are prohibited. A person who carries out a controlled activity without approval commits an offence under Section 183 of the Airports Act 1996. That section provides for a penalty of 250 penalty units for each offence ($42,500 as at August 2014).
In addition, if a building authority receives a proposal for a building activity that, if undertaken, would constitute a controlled activity; it must give notice of the proposal to the airport operator. Failure to do so is an offence under Section 186 of the Airports Act 1996 (50 penalty units – $8,500 as at August 2014).
Approval Process
The approval process varies depending on the type of controlled activity:
- Short-term controlled activities penetrating the OLS can be approved/refused by the airport operator after consultation with CASA and Airservices, or referred by the airport to the Department of Infrastructure and Regional Development (the Department) for a decision;
- A decision on long term and short term controlled activities is required to be made by the Department within 28 days of the Department’s receipt of the application.
- Long-term controlled activities penetrating the OLS and short term penetration of the PANSOPS are referred by the airport to the Department for a decision after consultation with CASA, Airservices and the relevant building authority;
- A decision on short term controlled activities (OLS) is required to be made within 21 days of the airport operator receiving the application, unless the application is referred to the Department for a decision;
- Long-term controlled activities penetrating the PANS-OPS airspace are not permitted, and the airport operator can notify the refusal of such controlled activities. If the airport operator assesses that the application is long term (more than 3 months duration) and would result in penetration of the PANS-OPS surface, it must be refused.
- The Regulations require any decision by the airport operator to be made in the interests of the safety, efficiency or regularity of existing or future air transport operations into or out of the airport. An approval may be subject to conditions specified by the airport operator. These conditions may concern how the controlled activity is carried out (e.g. hours of operation of a crane), or may require the building or structure to be marked or lit in a certain way. These conditions must also be in the interests of the safety, efficiency or regularity of existing or future air transport operations.
- The Regulations set the following timeframes for the approval of controlled activities:If the airport operator, CASA, Airservices or the Department requires further information in respect of individual applications, the decision is to be made within 21 days (for short-term intrusions) or 28 days (for long-term intrusions) of the extra information being provided by the applicant.
Further Information
ESSENDON FIELDS AIRPORT PRESCRIBED AIRSPACE – OBSTACLE LIMITATION SURFACES
ESSENDON FIELDS AIRPORT PRESCRIBED AIRSPACE – EXISTING PANS-OPS CRITICAL SURFACES
ESSENDON FIELDS AIRPORT CONTROLLED ACTIVITY APPLICATION FORM
AIRSPACE PROTECTION AT LEASED FEDERAL AIRPORTS
Essendon Fields Airport is a Security Controlled Airport that comprises both landside and airside areas.
It is a requirement under the Aviation Transport Security Regulations 2005 (ATSR 2005) that all persons accessing the airside areas of Essendon Fields Airport must have a valid ASIC, or be a passenger under escort of an ASIC holder, or have a Visitor Identification Card (VIC) and be under escort by an ASIC holder.
If you require and ASIC or a VIC, click here.
A pavement concession is required for any aircraft with a maximum take-off weight (MTOW) greater than 50,000kg or with a tyre pressure greater than 1400kpa (203 PSI).
If a pavement concession is required, a Pavement Concession Application form must be completed and provided to Essendon Fields Airport a minimum of 2 business days prior to the planned aircraft arrival date. The application will be assessed on the basis of pavement strengths and surface characteristics only, and approval may be withdrawn at any time should pavement damage occur.
