Aircraft noise in Richmond (3121)
Richmond experiences approximately 25 aircraft overflights per day, primarily arrivals at Melbourne Airport (Tullamarine), passing between roughly 3,000 and 5,000 ft. Helicopters and light aircraft add another 2 low overflights a day. Estimated peak ground noise reaches 74–77 dB — enough to interrupt conversation outdoors. It ranks #50 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 Richmond · updated monthly
Where the noise comes from
Richmond hears traffic from 2 distinct sources:
Melbourne Airport (Tullamarine)
live map →22 overflights/day (92%) · typically 4,400 ft
Richmond sits under arrivals descending across the inner east at moderate altitude — a steady sequencing stream, more background than event.
Helicopters & other light aircraft
2 overflights/day (8%) · typically 1,100 ft
Helicopters crossing the inner city add occasional low passes.
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 |
| Melbourne | 23 | #53 |
| Kew | 21 | #58 |
| East Melbourne | 17 | #65 |
| Hawthorn | 8 | #105 |
| South Yarra | 7 | #109 |
Common questions
- Is Richmond under a flight path?
- Yes — Richmond is under Melbourne Airport (Tullamarine) flight paths, with around 25 overflights on a typical day, mostly arrivals.
- Which airport's aircraft fly over Richmond?
- More than one source: Melbourne Airport (Tullamarine) (~22/day), other low-flying aircraft (~2/day). The breakdown above shows each source's pattern.
- What time do planes start over Richmond?
- The first movements typically pass over Richmond around 5:06am, building through the morning peak.
- Is it quieter in Richmond on weekends?
- Slightly — weekends average about 25% fewer overflights than weekdays (21 vs 28 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 Richmond.
