Is Northmead under a flight path?

Yes — Northmead is under Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport flight paths, with around 24 overflights on a typical day, mostly arrivals.

Which airport's aircraft fly over Northmead?

More than one source: Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport (~22/day), other low-flying aircraft (~2/day). The breakdown above shows each source's pattern.

What time do planes start over Northmead?

The first movements typically pass over Northmead around 7:22am, once the curfew (11 PM – 6 AM) ends. Traffic builds through the morning peak.

Is it quieter in Northmead on weekends?

Slightly — weekends average about 13% fewer overflights than weekdays (23 vs 27 a day).

Do planes fly over Northmead at night?

The main airport's curfew restricts movements between 11 PM – 6 AM, so overnight overflights are rare. The last movements are typically around 9:41pm.

Aircraft noise in Northmead (2152)

Aircraft fly over Northmead roughly 24 times a day, the bulk of them arrivals at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, between roughly 3,000 and 5,000 ft. Helicopters and light aircraft add another 2 low overflights a day. Estimated peak ground noise reaches 73–81 dB — enough to interrupt conversation outdoors. It ranks #43 of 139 Sydney suburbs for aircraft noise exposure. (Flight Path Noise monitoring data, 90 days to 2026-08-21.)

Data: 90 days to 2026-08-21 · all tracked aircraft over Northmead · updated monthly

Overflights / day

busiest on Fridays

Typical altitude

4,400 ft

over the suburb

Est. peak noise

73–81 dB

under the flight path, modelled

Sydney rank

#43 / 139

louder than 70% of measured suburbs

A typical day of overflights (all sources)

12a6a12p6p

First movement ~7:22amBusiest hour 5pmLast movement ~9:41pm

Where the noise comes from

Northmead hears traffic from 2 distinct sources:

Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport

live map →

22 overflights/day (90%) · typically 4,600 ft

Northmead hears a high mix of arrivals descending from the north-west and departures climbing out, without a single defining corridor. The altitude keeps individual aircraft soft; the trade-off is that some stream or other is passing through most of the day.

Helicopters & other light aircraft

2 overflights/day (10%) · typically 600 ft

Around 2 low overflights a day come from aircraft not operating at a tracked airport — helicopters, seaplanes and light aircraft transiting the area. Light-aircraft counts are tracked overflights only — many training and private aircraft carry no ADS-B transponder, so true numbers are higher.

Light-aircraft counts are tracked overflights only — many training and private aircraft carry no ADS-B transponder, so true numbers are higher.

How nearby suburbs compare

Suburb	Overflights / day	Rank
Baulkham Hills	36	#22
North Parramatta	34	#26
North Rocks	26	#40
Northmead	24	#43
Winston Hills	16	#79
Westmead	14	#91

Common questions

Is Northmead under a flight path?: Yes — Northmead is under Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport flight paths, with around 24 overflights on a typical day, mostly arrivals.
Which airport's aircraft fly over Northmead?: More than one source: Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport (~22/day), other low-flying aircraft (~2/day). The breakdown above shows each source's pattern.
What time do planes start over Northmead?: The first movements typically pass over Northmead around 7:22am, once the curfew (11 PM – 6 AM) ends. Traffic builds through the morning peak.
Is it quieter in Northmead on weekends?: Slightly — weekends average about 13% fewer overflights than weekdays (23 vs 27 a day).
Do planes fly over Northmead at night?: The main airport's curfew restricts movements between 11 PM – 6 AM, so overnight overflights are rare. The last movements are typically around 9:41pm.

Checking a specific address?

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