After working with representatives from the Canberra Airport over many months on the new plans, the Jerrabomberra Residents Association president Margot Sachse had only one concern about the new initiative.

Ms Sachse said a change in the timetable to take daylight savings into account meant Singapore Airlines planes would be arriving in Canberra after midnight. By the airport’s own admission, noise at night is more intrusive. 

Despite this, the aircraft will not be using the approved bypass route where noise instead affects rural areas of Tralee and Environa.

Ms Sachse said while her group doesn’t want to stymie the plans for international flights, she called on the airport to encourage the use of the approved “Jerra bypass” to reduce aircraft noise.

A Canberra Airport spokeswoman confirmed Singapore Airlines planes would not be using what is known as the RNP, instead taking the centre-line approach. 

According to the spokeswoman, no plane except the larger 737s used the alternate route. While the Singapore Airlines planes had the necessary equipment, she said only a minority of people were affected by the centre-line approach. 

“Around 624 houses of over 180,000 houses in the Canberra and Queanbeyan area may be affected,” the spokeswoman said.

Ms Sachse said after years of consultation with the airport to devise the alternate route, she hoped the late flights would use it.

“It is about being respectful,” Ms Sachse said.

“These procedures have been in place for 10 years, the planes have the capability, it is the pilot’s choice. We say be respectful to the community and fly the bypass route.”

The airport spokeswoman said over the past 18 years the airport had worked with airlines, Airservices Australia, local communities and governments to deliver “world leading best practice aircraft noise abatement” to the majority of residents. She said the community consultation had included forecasts of increased capacity at the airport and increased size of operating aircraft.