“Gladstone Airport occasionally experiences low cloud and low visibility which causes aircraft to be diverted to Rockhampton,” Gladstone Regional Council Mayor Gail Sellers said. “These types of weather conditions have been extremely disruptive for the travelling public.”

Australia Pacific LNG, GLNG and Queensland Curtis LNG have contributed funds and Arrow Energy will contribute its share at final investment decision.

The system will consist of two new antennas intended to improve positional and vertical guidance for aircraft, distance measuring equipment to enable aircraft to more precisely measure their distance from the runway, and improved runway lighting.

The decision to install the system followed studies by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority and a recommendation from a study funded by the LNG industry and commissioned by the council to mitigate project impacts.

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System installation preparatory works have started and will be fully operating by 2014.