Gold Coast and Tweed residents living under the Coolangatta airport flight path could be forced to endure continued flights during curfew hours if Qantas is granted an extension to operate overnight freight flights.
Tweed Shire Mayor Chris Cherry, who sits on the Community Consultation Committee for the Gold Coast Airport, said residents were concerned.
"They are out of the routine, they're in sleep time, and they really want it to stop."
Qantas was granted an exemption to operate four flights each week outside of the curfew which operates between 11pm and 6am.
The flights were approved so medical supplies could be delivered to the Gold Coast during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Cr Cherry said there was community consultation before the exemption was granted.
"It was quite a quick approval process given the exceptional circumstances," she said.
The Tweed Shire Mayor said the current exemption expires on December 31 and she does not want it to be extended.
"By then, flights are most likely going to be operating again and I don't think exceptional circumstances are still going to exist," she said.
Cr Cherry said all of the community members who sat on the committee were adamant the exemption should not be extended unless there were further exceptional circumstances.
"They can't just be to meet other freight deliveries and convenience," she said.
"There is a curfew in place for a reason, and people who've bought under the flight paths or near airports don't expect to get planes during the curfew times.
"It's a very reasonable thing for them to assume that they can have actual peace during that night time period."
Qantas has confirmed it intends to apply for an extension to the current permit.
The application for an extension must be lodged with the federal government's Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications.
