Why is there so much aircraft noise around Sydney Airport?

Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport (SYD/YSSY) is Australia's busiest airport — over 350,000 movements a year — and it sits just 9 km south of the CBD on Botany Bay, with parallel runways pointing directly at the inner-west suburbs. Unlike Melbourne (24/7) or Brisbane (over-water runway), Sydney has overland approaches in most weather and a fixed footprint that puts Mascot, Botany, Tempe, Marrickville and Sydenham directly under the main traffic.

Which Sydney suburbs are quietest for aircraft noise?

Inner-east suburbs north of the airport (Surry Hills, Paddington, Woollahra) and the lower north shore (Mosman, Neutral Bay, Cremorne) get the least overflight because Sydney's runway alignment is south-north and the corridor stays west of the harbour. Bondi catches occasional traffic on northerly arrivals but is mostly clear. The inner-west suburbs (Marrickville, Tempe, Sydenham, Mascot) are the most consistently affected.

Is Mascot loud from planes?

Yes — Mascot is one of the most consistently affected suburbs in Sydney because it sits directly north of the airport, under both ends of the parallel north-south runways (16L/16R departures, 34L/34R arrivals). Ground noise from taxiing aircraft and engine run-ups adds to the overflight noise. Drop a pin on the map above to see your exact street's exposure.

What's the difference between Sydney's 16L/16R and 34L/34R runway operations?

Sydney has two parallel north-south runways. In southerly winds (most common, especially summer) departures use runways 16L and 16R, heading south over Botany Bay and the ocean — quieter for residents because the noise dissipates over water. In northerly winds (less common, mostly autumn/spring), the operation flips: departures use 34L/34R heading north directly over Mascot, Marrickville, Newtown and the inner-west. The Long Term Operating Plan (LTOP) aims to use southerly/over-water operations whenever wind permits.

Why is Sydney louder than Melbourne for some residents?

Two reasons. First, Sydney's runways point directly at the inner suburbs (9 km from the CBD) while Melbourne's airport is 22 km out in farmland. Second, Sydney has overland approaches in either wind direction, while Melbourne's traffic is more spread between north-bound and south-bound corridors. The trade-off: Sydney's strict 11 PM – 6 AM curfew gives residents a guaranteed quiet window that Melbourne (which has no curfew) does not.

How do I report aircraft noise in Sydney?

Submit complaints to Airservices Australia's Noise Complaints and Information Service (NCIS) at airservicesaustralia.com or by phone on 1800 802 584. Sydney Airport itself does not handle noise complaints; air traffic control is a federal Airservices Australia responsibility. Logged complaints feed into the Sydney Airport Community Forum (SACF) reviews.

Does coverage on this map include all aircraft?

Yes — Sydney's commercial fleet has near-100% ADS-B coverage, so the heatmap and route-density layers reflect actual traffic accurately. The only gaps are a small amount of general-aviation traffic from Bankstown (YSBK) and Camden (YSCN) that may not be ADS-B-equipped, but those don't operate from Kingsford Smith.

Sydney Flight Path Noise Map – Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport (SYD)

Name: Aircraft noise observations near Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport
Creator: Flight Path Noise
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Aircraft noise around Sydney in October 2026

Loudest neighborhoods near Sydney: Mascot, Botany, Tempe, Marrickville, Sydenham. Quietest: Bondi, Glebe, Surry Hills, Cronulla. Busiest around 9 AM local time averaging 952 flights/day. Source: Flight Path Noise monitoring data, 30 days to 2026-10-09.

Flights by hour · last 30 days

12a6a12p6p

Average daily traffic

952

flights / day · 28,546 total

Busiest hour

9 AM

peak 95 dB

Loudest hour

9 AM

peak 95 dB

Loudest residential area

Sydenham

74 dB avg · ~776 flights/day · Loud conversation

Aircraft turn here on the standard 16R departure profile; noise from both arrivals and departures

Does Sydney Airport have a curfew?

Yes — a strict 11 PM to 6 AM curfew.

Sydney is one of only a handful of major commercial airports in the world with a legislated overnight curfew. Between 11 PM and 6 AM only a small number of exempt movements are permitted — medical and emergency flights, plus a limited quota of quieter freight and propeller aircraft using the over-water 16L/34R runway at low noise levels. The curfew is set in federal law (the Sydney Airport Curfew Act 1995), not airport policy, and it is the main reason the heavily overflown inner-west suburbs stay liveable despite Sydney’s busy daytime traffic.

Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport (SYD/YSSY) is Australia’s busiest airport with over 350,000 movements per year, and unlike most major capitals it sits just 9 km south of the CBD on Botany Bay. Two parallel north-south runways point directly at the inner-west, making Mascot, Botany, Tempe, Marrickville and Sydenham some of the most flight-path-affected residential suburbs in any Australian city. The saving grace is a strict 11 PM – 6 AM curfew — one of the few major commercial airports in the world with one — which gives residents a guaranteed quiet overnight window.

Which neighborhoods are quietest — and which aren’t

Sydney runs two parallel north-south runways (16L/34R and 16R/34L, both 2,438–3,962 m) plus a perpendicular east-west crossover (07/25, 2,530 m). The parallel runways handle the bulk of jet traffic; the crossover is used in strong easterlies and for some early-morning departures over the bay to manage noise.

Area	Aircraft noise	Why
Mascot	✈︎✈︎✈︎	Immediately north; both ends of parallel runways point here
Botany	✈︎✈︎✈︎	Immediately east; under 07/25 approaches
Tempe	✈︎✈︎✈︎	Directly under 16L/34R parallel-runway path
Marrickville	✈︎✈︎✈︎	Inner-west under main approach corridor
Sydenham	✈︎✈︎✈︎	16R departures turn here at low altitude
Newtown	✈︎✈︎	Under approaches at ~2000 ft
Erskineville	✈︎✈︎	Inner approach footprint
Maroubra	✈︎✈︎	Lateral noise from southbound departures
Rockdale	✈︎✈︎	Under cross runway 07/25 approaches
Bondi	✈︎	Off corridor; occasional northerly arrivals only
Glebe	✈︎	Higher altitude overflight
Surry Hills	✈︎	Off corridor; city noise dominates
Cronulla	✈︎	Outbound climb-out at altitude

If aircraft noise is a primary concern, the practical move in Sydney is east of the harbour (Bondi, Bronte, Tamarama) or the lower north shore (Mosman, Cremorne, Neutral Bay) — these suburbs sit clear of the main corridor and only catch the occasional northerly-arrival overflight at high altitude. The inner-west suburbs (Marrickville, Tempe, Mascot, Sydenham) are the most consistently affected; if you’re looking at apartments or houses there, drop a pin on the map above to see your specific street.

Flight patterns and runway use

Sydney uses runways based on wind, but operations are also shaped by the Long Term Operating Plan (LTOP) which tries to maximise over-water flight paths to reduce noise impact. With prevailing southerly winds (most common, especially summer) the airport operates departures on 16L/16R heading south over Botany Bay and the ocean — quieter for residents because the noise dissipates over water. With northerly winds (less common, autumn/spring) the operation flips: departures use 34L/34R heading directly north over Mascot, Marrickville, Newtown and the inner-west.

Runway 07/25 runs roughly east-west, with the 07 end over the bay. It’s used in strong cross-winds and for some early-morning operations to keep departures over water before turning. When 07 arrivals are active, Botany Bay residents on the eastern foreshore hear approach noise.

The route-density layer on the map above shows the cumulative pattern: bright corridors extending north (inner-west) and south (over the bay) from the main parallel runways, plus a secondary east-west band from 07/25. The far-field density drops off quickly because Sydney is geographically compact and aircraft climb to cruise altitude fairly fast.

When is it quietest?

Sydney’s strict curfew shapes the daily noise profile in a way that’s distinctive among major airports:

Curfew (11 PM – 6 AM): silent except for the rare medical or emergency flight. This is the defining noise difference between Sydney and curfew-free airports like Melbourne, Brisbane, or Tullamarine.
6 AM – 7 AM: heavy morning departure bank. International long-haul to Asia, plus the start of the domestic morning rush.
7 AM – 9 AM: peak. Back-to-back 737/A320 and widebody departures every 60-120 seconds.
Midday (10 AM – 3 PM): moderate, sustained.
Evening arrival bank (5 PM – 8 PM): peak. International long-haul arrivals stacked from Asia/Europe, plus domestic returns.
Late evening (9 PM – 11 PM): tapers as flights race to land before the curfew kicks in.

Wind shifts also matter. A northerly that develops mid-afternoon will flip the operation, suddenly putting Marrickville and Newtown residents under traffic that was previously routing over the bay.

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

A note on the second airport at Western Sydney (Badgerys Creek)

Sydney’s second international airport (Western Sydney International, ICAO YSWS, IATA WSI) opens in 2026, located ~50 km west of the CBD. It’s expected to absorb a portion of Sydney’s growth without adding to Kingsford Smith’s footprint — but the airport you’re looking at above is the existing one (YSSY) which will remain the dominant noise source for inner-Sydney residents indefinitely.

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.

Prefer suburb-level answers? The suburb & postcode noise guide further down this page ranks every measured suburb, searchable by name or postcode.

The Noise Heatmap layer (orange/red = louder) and the Route Density layer (purple/magenta = busier flight corridors) make the parallel-runway pattern obvious. Most addresses outside the ring of high-exposure inner-west suburbs (Mascot, Tempe, Marrickville, Sydenham, Botany) will land in the green/quiet zone for daytime noise. The curfew handles overnight on its own.

Suburb & postcode noise guide

Suburbs overflown by Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport traffic, ranked by this airport's share (rolling window to 2026-08-21). Each page shows the full picture across every airport and low-flying aircraft in the area.

Suburb	From Sydney / day	All sources / day	Area rank
Mascot (2020)	271	271	#1
Kurnell (2231)	162	210	#2
Marrickville (2204)	102	102	#3
Lilyfield (2040)	83	91	#4
Hunters Hill (2110)	80	91	#5
Macquarie Park (2113)	68	81	#6
Stanmore (2048)	66	72	#8
North Ryde (2113)	63	73	#7
Drummoyne (2047)	60	72	#9
Leichhardt (2040)	58	71	#10
Pymble (2073)	54	56	#11
St Peters (2044)	52	52	#13
West Pymble (2073)	48	53	#12
Tempe (2044)	47	47	#15
Turramurra (2074)	46	48	#14
Newtown (2042)	45	45	#16
Annandale (2038)	41	43	#17
Maroubra (2035)	41	41	#18
Killara (2071)	40	40	#20
Auburn (2144)	38	40	#19
Eastlakes (2018)	34	34	#24
Baulkham Hills (2153)	34	36	#22
Riverview (2066)	33	34	#25
Lane Cove West (2066)	32	32	#29
Granville (2142)	32	34	#23
Merrylands (2160)	31	36	#21
Ashfield (2131)	31	32	#30
North Parramatta (2151)	30	34	#26
Lindfield (2070)	29	29	#31
Rosebery (2018)	28	28	#34
St Ives (2075)	28	28	#35
Rozelle (2039)	28	28	#36
Earlwood (2206)	28	28	#37
Parramatta (2150)	27	33	#28
North Rocks (2151)	25	26	#40
Lane Cove North (2066)	25	25	#42
East Ryde (2113)	24	28	#33
Lidcombe (2141)	24	26	#39
Sydenham (2044)	24	24	#46
Lane Cove (2066)	23	23	#51
Gordon (2072)	22	22	#54
Moore Park (2021)	22	22	#56
Northmead (2152)	22	24	#43
West Pennant Hills (2125)	21	23	#52
Wahroonga (2076)	21	24	#49
Pagewood (2035)	21	21	#58
Pennant Hills (2120)	21	24	#50
Hurstville (2220)	20	20	#60
Camperdown (2050)	20	20	#62
Haberfield (2045)	20	20	#63
Strathfield (2135)	19	20	#65
Frenchs Forest (2086)	19	19	#67
Petersham (2049)	19	21	#59
Concord (2137)	19	19	#68
Oatlands (2117)	19	20	#61
Dulwich Hill (2203)	18	20	#64
Greystanes (2145)	18	24	#45
Guildford (2161)	18	24	#48
Five Dock (2046)	17	17	#73
Peakhurst (2210)	16	16	#74
Revesby (2212)	16	29	#32
South Turramurra (2074)	16	19	#71
Rydalmere (2116)	16	16	#75
Kingsgrove (2208)	16	16	#76
Pemulwuy (2145)	16	26	#41
Yagoona (2199)	15	24	#47
Paddington (2021)	15	15	#81
Burwood (2134)	15	15	#82
Mosman (2088)	15	16	#77
Allambie Heights (2100)	15	15	#86
Croydon (2132)	14	14	#87
Winston Hills (2153)	14	16	#79
Chester Hill (2162)	14	19	#69
Ermington (2115)	14	15	#83
Gymea Bay (2227)	14	14	#90
Condell Park (2200)	14	34	#27
Sydney Olympic Park (2127)	14	16	#78
Miranda (2228)	13	13	#93
Alexandria (2015)	13	13	#95
Carlingford (2118)	13	15	#84
Zetland (2017)	13	13	#98
Beecroft (2119)	13	14	#89
Bankstown (2200)	12	19	#66
Marsfield (2122)	12	14	#92
North Epping (2121)	12	13	#94
Homebush West (2140)	12	12	#100
Panania (2213)	12	24	#44
Concord West (2138)	12	12	#101
Belrose (2085)	12	12	#102
Thornleigh (2120)	11	13	#99
Oxford Falls (2100)	11	11	#105
Beverly Hills (2209)	10	10	#106
Kingsford (2032)	10	10	#109
South Granville (2142)	10	12	#103
Bass Hill (2197)	10	18	#72
Westmead (2145)	9	14	#91
Summer Hill (2130)	9	10	#111
Rosehill (2142)	9	10	#108
Manly (2095)	9	9	#112
Homebush (2140)	8	8	#114
Warrawee (2074)	8	8	#115
Sans Souci (2219)	8	8	#116
Milperra (2214)	8	23	#53
Georges Hall (2198)	7	22	#55
Beacon Hill (2100)	7	7	#118
Randwick (2031)	7	7	#121
Villawood (2163)	6	14	#88
Daceyville (2032)	6	6	#126
Normanhurst (2076)	6	6	#130
Epping (2121)	6	6	#131
Cheltenham (2119)	6	6	#132
Moorebank (2170)	4	19	#70
Chipping Norton (2170)	2	27	#38
Smithfield (2164)	2	10	#107
Toongabbie (2146)	2	7	#123
Glenfield (2167)	2	6	#127
Liverpool (2170)	2	7	#120
Casula (2170)	1	9	#113
Cabramatta (2166)	1	13	#96
Lansvale (2166)	1	13	#97
Warwick Farm (2170)	1	8	#117
Fairfield (2165)	1	7	#122

Frequently asked questions

Why is there so much aircraft noise around Sydney Airport?: Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport (SYD/YSSY) is Australia's busiest airport — over 350,000 movements a year — and it sits just 9 km south of the CBD on Botany Bay, with parallel runways pointing directly at the inner-west suburbs. Unlike Melbourne (24/7) or Brisbane (over-water runway), Sydney has overland approaches in most weather and a fixed footprint that puts Mascot, Botany, Tempe, Marrickville and Sydenham directly under the main traffic.
Which Sydney suburbs are quietest for aircraft noise?: Inner-east suburbs north of the airport (Surry Hills, Paddington, Woollahra) and the lower north shore (Mosman, Neutral Bay, Cremorne) get the least overflight because Sydney's runway alignment is south-north and the corridor stays west of the harbour. Bondi catches occasional traffic on northerly arrivals but is mostly clear. The inner-west suburbs (Marrickville, Tempe, Sydenham, Mascot) are the most consistently affected.
Is Mascot loud from planes?: Yes — Mascot is one of the most consistently affected suburbs in Sydney because it sits directly north of the airport, under both ends of the parallel north-south runways (16L/16R departures, 34L/34R arrivals). Ground noise from taxiing aircraft and engine run-ups adds to the overflight noise. Drop a pin on the map above to see your exact street's exposure.
What's the difference between Sydney's 16L/16R and 34L/34R runway operations?: Sydney has two parallel north-south runways. In southerly winds (most common, especially summer) departures use runways 16L and 16R, heading south over Botany Bay and the ocean — quieter for residents because the noise dissipates over water. In northerly winds (less common, mostly autumn/spring), the operation flips: departures use 34L/34R heading north directly over Mascot, Marrickville, Newtown and the inner-west. The Long Term Operating Plan (LTOP) aims to use southerly/over-water operations whenever wind permits.
Why is Sydney louder than Melbourne for some residents?: Two reasons. First, Sydney's runways point directly at the inner suburbs (9 km from the CBD) while Melbourne's airport is 22 km out in farmland. Second, Sydney has overland approaches in either wind direction, while Melbourne's traffic is more spread between north-bound and south-bound corridors. The trade-off: Sydney's strict 11 PM – 6 AM curfew gives residents a guaranteed quiet window that Melbourne (which has no curfew) does not.
How do I report aircraft noise in Sydney?: Submit complaints to Airservices Australia's Noise Complaints and Information Service (NCIS) at airservicesaustralia.com or by phone on 1800 802 584. Sydney Airport itself does not handle noise complaints; air traffic control is a federal Airservices Australia responsibility. Logged complaints feed into the Sydney Airport Community Forum (SACF) reviews.
Does coverage on this map include all aircraft?: Yes — Sydney's commercial fleet has near-100% ADS-B coverage, so the heatmap and route-density layers reflect actual traffic accurately. The only gaps are a small amount of general-aviation traffic from Bankstown (YSBK) and Camden (YSCN) that may not be ADS-B-equipped, but those don't operate from Kingsford Smith.

Sources and further reading

Sydney Airport — Wikipedia — Wikipedia
Sydney Airport noise and flight paths — Sydney Airport Corporation
Airservices Australia — Noise Complaints and Information Service — Airservices Australia
Sydney Airport Community Forum (SACF) — Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications

Data updated 2026-10-09 — 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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Sydney Flight Path Noise Map – Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport (SYD)

Aircraft noise around Sydney in October 2026

Does Sydney Airport have a curfew?

Which neighborhoods are quietest — and which aren’t

Flight patterns and runway use

When is it quietest?

A note on the second airport at Western Sydney (Badgerys Creek)

How to check noise at your specific address

Suburb & postcode noise guide

Frequently asked questions

Sources and further reading

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