Aircraft noise in Spotswood (3015)
Aircraft fly over Spotswood roughly 29 times a day, the bulk of them arrivals at Melbourne Airport (Tullamarine), below 3,000 ft. Helicopters and light aircraft add another 5 low overflights a day. Estimated peak ground noise reaches 78–82 dB — enough to interrupt conversation outdoors. It ranks #42 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 Spotswood · updated monthly
Where the noise comes from
Spotswood hears traffic from 2 distinct sources:
Melbourne Airport (Tullamarine)
live map →24 overflights/day (83%) · typically 3,000 ft
Spotswood lies at the edge of the runway 34 arrival corridor, with descending traffic crossing at low-to-moderate altitude on north-flow days and a scattering of higher movements otherwise.
Helicopters & other light aircraft
5 overflights/day (17%) · typically 1,200 ft
Around 5 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Yarraville | 76 | #13 |
| Altona North | 68 | #18 |
| Port Melbourne | 38 | #35 |
| Spotswood | 29 | #42 |
| Newport | 12 | #78 |
| South Kingsville | 8 | #104 |
| West Melbourne | 7 | #113 |
Common questions
- Is Spotswood under a flight path?
- Yes — Spotswood is directly under Melbourne Airport (Tullamarine) flight paths, with around 29 overflights on a typical day, mostly arrivals.
- Which airport's aircraft fly over Spotswood?
- More than one source: Melbourne Airport (Tullamarine) (~24/day), other low-flying aircraft (~5/day). The breakdown above shows each source's pattern.
- What time do planes start over Spotswood?
- The first movements typically pass over Spotswood around 4:48am, building through the morning peak.
- Is it quieter in Spotswood on weekends?
- Slightly — weekends average about 29% fewer overflights than weekdays (23 vs 33 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 Spotswood.
