Why is there so much aircraft noise around Manila Airport?

Ninoy Aquino International Airport (MNL/RPLL, also commonly called NAIA) is the Philippines' main international gateway, sitting just 7 km from Makati's central business district. Two crossing runways (06/24 and 13/31) handle around 45 million passengers per year on a constrained site. The airport is completely surrounded by Metro Manila's dense urban fabric — Pasay to the north, Parañaque to the south, Makati and Las Piñas extending east and west. Combined with overland approaches in all directions, NAIA has one of the most population-affected noise footprints of any airport globally.

Which Manila neighborhoods are quietest for aircraft noise?

Quezon City's northern half (Cubao north, Project 4 north, Fairview), Antipolo, Marikina, San Mateo, and most of the eastern Metro Manila sit clear of NAIA's corridor. Tagaytay and the Cavite mountain destinations are essentially aircraft-noise-free. South Metro Manila beyond Las Piñas (Cavite, Imus) is also mostly clear. The consistently affected areas are Pasay, Parañaque, Las Piñas, Makati, BGC, and the central CBD area — all of which sit under the active corridor.

Is Makati loud from planes?

Yes — Makati's eastern half and the central business district sit directly under the runway 06 approach corridor and runway 24 departure corridor. Aircraft pass overhead at low altitudes (~1500-2500 ft). Makati is one of the most consistently affected expat neighborhoods globally. The newer high-rise residential buildings have good sound insulation, but the outdoor environment (pool decks, balconies, walking the streets) is significantly affected. Drop a pin on the map above to see your specific building.

Is BGC quieter than Makati from aircraft noise?

Slightly — BGC sits ~5 km north-east of NAIA, putting it on the inner edge of the approach corridor at higher altitudes. Aircraft pass overhead at ~2500-3500 ft, which is audible but less impactful than Makati's lower altitudes. BGC's newer construction also tends to have better acoustic insulation. Many expats considering Manila for long-term stay choose BGC over Makati partly for this reason.

What about the proposed new airport at Bulacan or Sangley?

Several proposals exist to replace NAIA with a new airport: New Manila International Airport (NMIA) at Bulacan, north of Metro Manila, and the Sangley Point International Airport (SPIA) at Cavite. Bulacan's NMIA broke ground in 2020 with phased opening expected from 2027 onwards. As the new airports come online, NAIA's traffic should reduce, eventually with NAIA potentially closing or becoming a domestic-only airport. Full transition will take 5-10 years; for residents choosing where to live now, NAIA remains the dominant noise factor.

How do I report aircraft noise in Manila?

Submit complaints to MIAA (Manila International Airport Authority) via miaa.gov.ph. The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) also handles complaints. Each affected city (Pasay, Parañaque, Las Piñas, Makati) operates its own noise complaint channel through the local government. The CAAP and Department of Transportation handle larger noise abatement proceedings.

Does coverage on this map include all aircraft?

Yes — commercial Philippine fleets and international airlines at MNL have near-100% ADS-B coverage. The heatmap and density layers reflect actual traffic accurately. General-aviation traffic from the smaller fields around Metro Manila represents a minimal fraction of total movements.

Manila Flight Path Noise Map – Ninoy Aquino International Airport (MNL)

Name: Aircraft noise observations near Ninoy Aquino International Airport
Creator: Flight Path Noise
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Aircraft noise around Manila in October 2026

Loudest neighborhoods near Manila: Pasay, Parañaque, Las Piñas, Makati (east), Makati (west). Quietest: Quezon City (central), Antipolo, Tagaytay. Busiest around 1 PM local time averaging 740 flights/day. Source: Flight Path Noise monitoring data, 30 days to 2026-10-17.

Flights by hour · last 30 days

12a6a12p6p

Average daily traffic

740

flights / day · 22,185 total

Busiest hour

1 PM

peak 95 dB

Loudest hour

1 PM

peak 95 dB

Loudest residential area

Pasay

66 dB avg · ~714 flights/day · Busy road

Airport-adjacent dense city; under approaches to runway 06 and departures from 24 plus ground noise

Does Manila Airport have a curfew?

No — Manila has no formal curfew.

NAIA operates 24 hours with no formal curfew. Operations are heaviest during daylight hours but international long-haul, regional Asian, and freight flights continue overnight. The lack of a curfew is a long-standing complaint in the affected districts. The proposed move to Bulacan or Sangley Point would relocate some traffic but is years from completion.

Ninoy Aquino International Airport (MNL/RPLL, also commonly called NAIA) is the Philippines’ main international gateway, sitting just 7 km from Makati’s central business district. Two crossing runways handle around 45 million passengers per year on a site completely surrounded by Metro Manila’s dense urban fabric. The combination of constrained geography, overland approaches in all directions, and no curfew makes NAIA’s noise footprint one of the most population-affected of any airport globally — Pasay, Parañaque, Las Piñas, Makati, and the central CBD all sit under active corridors.

Which neighborhoods are quietest — and which aren’t

MNL has two crossing runways: 06/24 (the main north-east/ south-west runway, 3,737 m) and 13/31 (the cross runway, 2,258 m). The dominant configuration uses 06/24; 13/31 is used in cross-winds and to balance capacity. The crossing layout distributes noise across multiple corridors.

Area	Aircraft noise	Why
Pasay	✈︎✈︎✈︎	Airport-adjacent north
Parañaque	✈︎✈︎✈︎	Airport-adjacent south
Las Piñas	✈︎✈︎✈︎	Runway 24 climb-out corridor
Makati (east)	✈︎✈︎✈︎	Eastern Makati under approach
Makati (west)	✈︎✈︎✈︎	Departure corridor overhead
BGC	✈︎✈︎	Modern business district lateral
Pasig	✈︎✈︎	Departure climb-out altitude
Mandaluyong	✈︎✈︎	Ortigas lateral overflight
Manila proper	✈︎✈︎	Historic Intramuros at altitude
Quezon City (central)	✈︎	Off corridor, high-altitude only
Antipolo	✈︎	Hillside east, outside footprint
Tagaytay	✈︎	Mountain town, no impact

The practical move at Manila for aircraft noise is Quezon City’s northern half — Cubao north, Fairview, Project 4 north, and the upper Quezon City barangays sit clear of the corridor. Antipolo and the hillside cities to the east are essentially aircraft-noise-free. Tagaytay and the Cavite mountain destinations are far outside any corridor. The consistently affected areas are the central Metro Manila business and residential districts that most expats and long-term visitors gravitate toward.

Flight patterns and runway use

MNL’s crossing-runway layout creates complex traffic patterns:

South-westerly winds (most common, especially during the southwest monsoon): arrivals on runway 06 from the south-west (over Las Piñas, the Manila Bay coast), departures on 24 to the south-west (climbing over Las Piñas/Parañaque). Heavy impact on Las Piñas and Parañaque in this configuration.
North-easterly winds: operation reverses to runway 24 arrivals from the north-east (over Makati/BGC) and runway 06 departures to the north-east (climbing over Makati and east toward the central CBD).
Cross runway 13/31: used in cross-winds; adds noise to areas not normally affected.

The route-density layer on the map above shows the multi-axis pattern: bright corridors extending north-east, south-west, and via the cross-runway in two additional directions. The fall-off outside ~10 km from the airport is steep, but within that radius, the noise impact is widely distributed.

When is it quietest?

MNL’s 24-hour operations produce a continuous noise profile:

Morning departure bank (5 AM – 9 AM): peak. Asian regional connections + long-haul to North America (across Pacific) and the Gulf.
Midday (10 AM – 3 PM): moderate, sustained.
Evening arrival bank (4 PM – 10 PM): peak. International arrivals + domestic returns.
Late evening (10 PM – 2 AM): still active. North American red-eye arrivals.
Overnight (2 AM – 5 AM): tapers but rarely silent. Cargo and the occasional delayed flight.

For your specific address, drop a pin on the map above to see the hourly profile.

How to check noise at your specific address

The map above is the answer to “is this spot loud?” Three steps:

Search your address or postcode in the bar at the bottom of the map.
Drop a pin — click the location marker that appears.
Read the noise report that opens in the sidebar: average daily noise (Leq), peak observed dB, flights per day passing within 2 km, and an hourly breakdown.

For Makati and BGC condos, building floor matters — upper floors above 20F catch more direct overflight than lower floors. For Pasay and Parañaque, almost all addresses will show high exposure — the entire cities sit within the immediate corridor.

Frequently asked questions

Why is there so much aircraft noise around Manila Airport?: Ninoy Aquino International Airport (MNL/RPLL, also commonly called NAIA) is the Philippines' main international gateway, sitting just 7 km from Makati's central business district. Two crossing runways (06/24 and 13/31) handle around 45 million passengers per year on a constrained site. The airport is completely surrounded by Metro Manila's dense urban fabric — Pasay to the north, Parañaque to the south, Makati and Las Piñas extending east and west. Combined with overland approaches in all directions, NAIA has one of the most population-affected noise footprints of any airport globally.
Which Manila neighborhoods are quietest for aircraft noise?: Quezon City's northern half (Cubao north, Project 4 north, Fairview), Antipolo, Marikina, San Mateo, and most of the eastern Metro Manila sit clear of NAIA's corridor. Tagaytay and the Cavite mountain destinations are essentially aircraft-noise-free. South Metro Manila beyond Las Piñas (Cavite, Imus) is also mostly clear. The consistently affected areas are Pasay, Parañaque, Las Piñas, Makati, BGC, and the central CBD area — all of which sit under the active corridor.
Is Makati loud from planes?: Yes — Makati's eastern half and the central business district sit directly under the runway 06 approach corridor and runway 24 departure corridor. Aircraft pass overhead at low altitudes (~1500-2500 ft). Makati is one of the most consistently affected expat neighborhoods globally. The newer high-rise residential buildings have good sound insulation, but the outdoor environment (pool decks, balconies, walking the streets) is significantly affected. Drop a pin on the map above to see your specific building.
Is BGC quieter than Makati from aircraft noise?: Slightly — BGC sits ~5 km north-east of NAIA, putting it on the inner edge of the approach corridor at higher altitudes. Aircraft pass overhead at ~2500-3500 ft, which is audible but less impactful than Makati's lower altitudes. BGC's newer construction also tends to have better acoustic insulation. Many expats considering Manila for long-term stay choose BGC over Makati partly for this reason.
What about the proposed new airport at Bulacan or Sangley?: Several proposals exist to replace NAIA with a new airport: New Manila International Airport (NMIA) at Bulacan, north of Metro Manila, and the Sangley Point International Airport (SPIA) at Cavite. Bulacan's NMIA broke ground in 2020 with phased opening expected from 2027 onwards. As the new airports come online, NAIA's traffic should reduce, eventually with NAIA potentially closing or becoming a domestic-only airport. Full transition will take 5-10 years; for residents choosing where to live now, NAIA remains the dominant noise factor.
How do I report aircraft noise in Manila?: Submit complaints to MIAA (Manila International Airport Authority) via miaa.gov.ph. The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) also handles complaints. Each affected city (Pasay, Parañaque, Las Piñas, Makati) operates its own noise complaint channel through the local government. The CAAP and Department of Transportation handle larger noise abatement proceedings.
Does coverage on this map include all aircraft?: Yes — commercial Philippine fleets and international airlines at MNL have near-100% ADS-B coverage. The heatmap and density layers reflect actual traffic accurately. General-aviation traffic from the smaller fields around Metro Manila represents a minimal fraction of total movements.

Sources and further reading

Ninoy Aquino International Airport — Wikipedia — Wikipedia
MIAA — Manila International Airport Authority — MIAA / Department of Transportation
CAAP — Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines — Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines
Department of Transportation Philippines — Department of Transportation

Data updated 2026-10-17 — live ADS-B monitoring, rolling 30-day statistics (methodology). Article text revised 2026-05-23.

30 dB	Whisper
45 dB	Quiet residential
55 dB	Normal conversation
65 dB	Busy road
75 dB	Vacuum cleaner
85 dB	Heavy traffic
95 dB	Motorcycle nearby

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Manila Flight Path Noise Map – Ninoy Aquino International Airport (MNL)

Aircraft noise around Manila in October 2026

Does Manila Airport have a curfew?

Which neighborhoods are quietest — and which aren’t

Flight patterns and runway use

When is it quietest?

How to check noise at your specific address

Frequently asked questions

Sources and further reading

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