SYDNEY Airport will write to more than 100,000 homes to warn them of increased aircraft noise and other disruptions arising from construction work on the east-west runway.

Work starts tomorrow on the controversial $85 million safety area at the western end of the runway.

Aircraft noise will increase over Sydney's north-west, with residents enduring an estimated 16-24 extra flights per day on average. The eastern suburbs will have about eight to 16 extra flights, and the Sutherland Shire a slight increase.

People living under the flight paths to the east-west runway will experience a decrease in the number of aircraft flying over.

Up to 105,000 homes are being notified about the coming disruptions to their lives during the daily 17 hours of operation.

Federal Transport Minister Anthony Albanese promised the disruption would be reduced by shortening the construction period from the original 15 months to eight months and by working 22 hours a day, seven days a week. Use of the east-west runway would also be limited during the construction work.

However, Sydney Airport chief executive Russell Balding released a statement that said only the first phase of work was expected to be completed by mid-June 2009.

The second phase involves an easing of the restrictions on the east-west runway. It will be available before 7am and after 7pm, allowing a greater ability to reinstate noise sharing and less chance of operational disruptions due to strong cross-winds. This phase lasts to mid-April 2010.

The final phase will return the runway to usual operations and works will be completed without disruptions. This phase lasts to June 2010.

"Sydney Airport apologises to people who will be affected by this vital runway safety project, but it is essential that we comply with the Australian Government's air safety regulations," Mr Balding said. "Runway safety areas protect passengers in the unlikely event that an aircraft overruns or lands short of a runway."

No Aircraft Noise spokesman Alan Rees said the disruption could have been avoided, had Sydney Airport got organised earlier: "They sat on their hands for five years. If they had spent that time doing it bit by bit … it would all be completed now," he said. "We just can't see why, other than for their own convenience, it is being done in this manner."

hgilmore@fairfaxmedia.com.au