Aircraft noise in Hawthorn (3122)
On a typical day, about 8 aircraft pass over Hawthorn — mostly arrivals at Melbourne Airport (Tullamarine), between roughly 3,000 and 5,000 ft. Helicopters and light aircraft add another 2 low overflights a day. Estimated peak ground noise reaches 73–87 dB. It ranks #105 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 Hawthorn · updated monthly
Where the noise comes from
Hawthorn hears traffic from 2 distinct sources:
Melbourne Airport (Tullamarine)
live map →6 overflights/day (76%) · typically 4,800 ft
Arrivals sequencing across the inner east pass over Hawthorn at altitude — a regular, restrained stream.
Helicopters & other light aircraft
2 overflights/day (24%) · typically 1,100 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Richmond | 25 | #50 |
| Kew | 21 | #58 |
| Kew East | 18 | #64 |
| Hawthorn | 8 | #105 |
| South Yarra | 7 | #109 |
Common questions
- Is Hawthorn under a flight path?
- Yes — Hawthorn is under Melbourne Airport (Tullamarine) flight paths, with around 8 overflights on a typical day, mostly arrivals.
- Which airport's aircraft fly over Hawthorn?
- More than one source: Melbourne Airport (Tullamarine) (~6/day), other low-flying aircraft (~2/day). The breakdown above shows each source's pattern.
- What time do planes start over Hawthorn?
- The first movements typically pass over Hawthorn around 8:15am, building through the morning peak.
- Is it quieter in Hawthorn on weekends?
- Slightly — weekends average about 13% fewer overflights than weekdays (8 vs 9 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 Hawthorn.
