Aircraft noise in Essendon (3040)
Essendon experiences approximately 15 aircraft overflights per day, primarily helicopters and light aircraft, passing below 3,000 ft. Melbourne Airport (Tullamarine) traffic adds another overflight or so each day. Estimated peak ground noise reaches 85–88 dB. It ranks #72 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 Essendon · updated monthly
Where the noise comes from
Essendon hears traffic from 2 distinct sources:
Helicopters & other light aircraft
14 overflights/day (92%) · typically 900 ft
Essendon's noise story is Essendon Fields Airport on its doorstep — an untracked field busy with corporate jets, air-ambulance flights and helicopters through the day and into the evening. Tracked counts understate it: not all of the field's traffic carries ADS-B.
Melbourne Airport (Tullamarine)
live map →1 overflights/day (8%) · typically 3,700 ft
Melbourne Airport (Tullamarine) contributes arrivals over Essendon, typically between roughly 3,000 and 5,000 ft.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Essendon | 15 | #72 |
| Strathmore | 10 | #91 |
| Moonee Ponds | 10 | #92 |
| Essendon North | 6 | #122 |
| Aberfeldie | 6 | #124 |
| Brunswick West | 6 | #126 |
Common questions
- Is Essendon under a flight path?
- Yes — Essendon is directly under the area's flight paths, with around 15 overflights on a typical day, mostly a mix of arrivals and departures.
- Which airport's aircraft fly over Essendon?
- More than one source: other low-flying aircraft (~14/day), Melbourne Airport (Tullamarine) (~1/day). The breakdown above shows each source's pattern.
- What time do planes start over Essendon?
- The first movements typically pass over Essendon around 5:20am, building through the morning peak.
- Is it quieter in Essendon on weekends?
- Weekends are actually busier here — about 10% more overflights than weekdays (16 vs 15 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 Essendon.
