Aircraft noise in Docklands (3008)
Aircraft fly over Docklands roughly 19 times a day, the bulk of them arrivals at Melbourne Airport (Tullamarine), between roughly 3,000 and 5,000 ft. Helicopters and light aircraft add another 5 low overflights a day. Estimated peak ground noise reaches 75–86 dB. It ranks #62 of 128 Melbourne 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 Docklands · updated monthly
Where the noise comes from
Docklands hears traffic from 2 distinct sources:
Melbourne Airport (Tullamarine)
live map →14 overflights/day (74%) · typically 3,800 ft
Docklands sits under city-crossing arrivals at moderate altitude on their way to the sequence.
Helicopters & other light aircraft
5 overflights/day (26%) · typically 1,100 ft
The nearer noise is rotary: helicopters working the Yarra helipad and harbour precinct pass low through daylight hours.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Port Melbourne | 38 | #35 |
| Melbourne | 23 | #53 |
| Docklands | 19 | #62 |
| Southbank | 14 | #74 |
| West Melbourne | 7 | #113 |
| South Wharf | 5 | #127 |
Common questions
- Is Docklands under a flight path?
- Yes — Docklands is under Melbourne Airport (Tullamarine) flight paths, with around 19 overflights on a typical day, mostly arrivals.
- Which airport's aircraft fly over Docklands?
- More than one source: Melbourne Airport (Tullamarine) (~14/day), other low-flying aircraft (~5/day). The breakdown above shows each source's pattern.
- What time do planes start over Docklands?
- The first movements typically pass over Docklands around 6:19am, building through the morning peak.
- Is it quieter in Docklands on weekends?
- Slightly — weekends average about 17% fewer overflights than weekdays (18 vs 21 a day).
Checking a specific address?
This page shows suburb-wide averages. An address report gives you the exact overflight count, altitudes, hourly pattern and noise estimate for one property. Leave your email and we'll let you know when reports are ready for Docklands.
