Aircraft noise around Taipei Songshan Airport (TSA)
Aircraft noise around Taipei in April 2026
Songshan is the most “in the city” airport on this site — a single east–west runway dropped right into central Taipei, with residential high-rises and office buildings on every side. That makes “where to live” particularly sensitive to a few kilometres of distance and which side of the runway you’re on. This page combines a live ADS-B map of every flight passing TSA with district-level notes on what to expect.
Which neighborhoods are quietest — and which aren’t
TSA’s single runway runs east–west (10/28) through Songshan, between the Keelung River to the north and the densest commercial blocks to the south. Flight paths extend east toward Neihu and the coast, or west across Zhongshan/Datong toward the Tamsui basin. The 6 AM–11 PM curfew limits how long any of this lasts each day:
| Area | Aircraft noise | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Zhongshan / Datong | High | West-departure corridor; daytime peaks 80 dB+ |
| Songshan District (near runway) | High | Alongside the runway; both takeoff and approach noise |
| Western Neihu | High | East-departure corridor; turning out toward Keelung |
| Da’an | Medium | ~3 km south of centerline; off the main path |
| Xinyi | Medium | South of runway; side-aircraft noise during ops |
| Tianmu (Shilin) | Low | Far north; clear of both TSA and Taoyuan flight paths |
| Ximending | Low | West of city core; aircraft at altitude overhead |
If you’re moving to Taipei and aircraft noise is on your list, Tianmu is the traditional answer — leafy, residential, and away from the runway. Da’an and Xinyi work for nomads who prefer the city core; the curfew means even moderately-affected addresses sleep quietly. Avoid the western edges of Songshan/Datong and the runway-adjacent strips of Neihu unless you’re acclimated to airport noise.
Flight patterns and runway use
TSA has one east-west runway (10/28). With prevailing winds from the east, runway 10 (departing east, landing from the west) is the default — takeoffs head out over Neihu toward the coast, arrivals come in from the west over Zhongshan and Datong. When wind shifts, the airport flips: departures head west over the city, arrivals come from the east. That west-flow configuration is the loudest for central Taipei because departing aircraft are still climbing through the densest residential blocks.
The route-density layer above shows which corridor has been busier in the last 30 days, weighted by recent observations. You can see the bright corridor extending east-west of the runway; off that line, density drops away quickly.
When is it quietest?
TSA’s strict curfew is the headline answer: between 11 PM and 6 AM the airport is essentially silent. That’s a meaningful seven-hour window of guaranteed quiet that most other airports on this site don’t offer. Within the operating window, traffic peaks late morning and early evening; the 1–3 PM lull and the very early morning (6–7 AM) are the calmest stretches of the day.
For your specific address, drop a pin on the map above to see the hourly profile. Most Taipei addresses will show a clear daytime profile with a flat overnight — the curfew shape.
How to check noise at your specific address
The map above is the answer to “is this spot loud?” Three steps:
- Search your address 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.
The Noise Heatmap layer (orange/red = louder) and the Route Density layer (purple/magenta = busier flight corridors) make the east-west pattern obvious city-wide. The Live Aircraft layer shows what’s currently overhead — useful in the morning when TSA’s first scheduled arrivals appear right at 6 AM.
Frequently asked questions
- Does Taipei Songshan have a curfew?
- Yes — TSA strictly observes a 6 AM to 11 PM operating window. Outside those hours the airport is essentially silent (medical and emergency operations excepted). For residents, this is the single biggest difference from a 24-hour airport like BKK or KUL.
- Which Taipei neighborhoods are quietest for aircraft noise?
- Tianmu (in Shilin, far north) is the traditional expat-residential pick partly because it's clear of both Songshan and Taoyuan flight paths. Most of Da'an and Xinyi also escape the worst of the corridor — they sit south of the runway centerline.
- Is Da'an noisy from planes?
- Less than people expect. Da'an sits ~3 km south of the runway centerline, so most takeoffs and approaches don't pass directly overhead. Combined with the 11 PM–6 AM curfew, even noise-sensitive residents typically find Da'an workable.
- Is Songshan Airport closing?
- It's been a recurring civic debate for over a decade — Taipei City has periodically proposed closing TSA and consolidating traffic at Taoyuan. As of 2026 the airport remains open with no firm closure timeline. The 11 PM curfew and limited fleet size keep noise within tolerable bounds for most residents.
- Does aircraft noise affect Taipei property values?
- Yes, particularly in the Songshan, Zhongshan, and Datong noise-control zones. Taipei City has approved house-tax downgrades for the most-affected class-3 zones, benefitting around 28,000 households as of 2024. Properties directly under the runway corridor trade at a measurable discount.
- How does TSA aircraft noise compare to other airports?
- TSA is moderate-volume but very close to the city — daytime peaks during operations rival larger airports despite far fewer flights, simply because the runway sits inside downtown. The curfew is the saving grace; if you're a noise-sensitive sleeper, TSA is one of the more livable city-airports because nights are reliably quiet.
- Should I avoid Songshan District if I work from home?
- If you take video calls during work hours and live directly alongside the runway (the western edge of Songshan or the eastern edge of Neihu), yes. Most of Songshan District further from the runway is fine, and the curfew means evenings and overnight are silent.
Sources and further reading
- Songshan Airport overview (location, runway, history) — Wikipedia
- Local residents protest Songshan airport noise — Taipei Times
- Controversy over Songshan Airport — Taiwan Business TOPICS
- Taipei noise-zone house tax reduction — Taipei City Department of Finance
Live data updated continuously · page revised 2026-04-29