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Future flights in your area

Flight path movements

Flight path movement charts have been used for around 20 years and are widely accepted as a simple tool for reporting an airport’s noise exposure pattern.

The chart below shows the predicted average daily jet flight path movements for Sydney Airport in 2039, including:

  • Where those aircraft will fly
  • How many flights are forecast (including the average daily movements and daily range)
  • The percentage of Sydney Airport’s overall movements these flights represent
  • The percentage of days when there will be no aircraft movements

Hover over each of the flight paths to find out more information about the forecast usage of each flight path.

Your location will display on the map based on your location input. Enter your address to see information relevant to where you live or your suburb to see information general to your suburb. If you choose not to enter your location, you will see information for Sydney CBD.

Airservices Australia publishes charts containing this information in its quarterly Sydney Operational Statistics reports – click here to view recent reports.

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ANEF – Changes in noise exposure in your area

How has the noise forecast changed in Master Plan 2039?

All forecasts assume that from late 2026, Sydney basin’s aviation demand will be served by two international airports, being Sydney Airport and Western Sydney Airport.  Master Plan 2039 assumes that the existing flight paths will remain unchanged throughout the planning period.

The updated Sydney Airport ANEF 2039, endorsed for technical accuracy by Airservices Australia, takes into consideration aircraft movement forecasts, airport operating procedures and noise sharing models based on runway demand/capacity. The formally endorsed ANEF document can be found here.

The tool below allows you to explore the changes in the 2039 ANEF and compare it to the ANEF in Master Plan 2033.  Use the slider bar to change the ANEF contour level, and click the ‘Compare’ button to see how the noise exposure has changed at your location.

Your location will display on the map based on your location input.  Enter your address to see information relevant to where you live or your suburb to see information general to your suburb.  If you choose not to enter your location, you will see information for Sydney CBD.

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How runway use affects flights in your area

The animation below shows your location relative to Sydney Airport and a sample of the typical flights you would expect to see on a given day.  As wind direction generally dictates which runways will be used at an airport, the map shows the direction that flights use into and out of Sydney Airport based the prevailing winds.

Your location will display on the map based on your location input.  Enter your address to see information relevant to where you live or your suburb to see information general to your suburb.  If you choose not to enter your location, you will see information for Sydney CBD.

More information on the Long Term Operating Plan for Sydney Airport (LTOP) can be found here.

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Aircraft Noise Impacts

With continued global and national economic development, more people are choosing to fly than ever before, whether for work or leisure purposes, or to visit family and friends.

Sydney Airport acknowledges that noise from aircraft operations continues to a significant environmental issue for people living around airports or underneath or near flight paths.

While the noise generated by next generation quieter aircraft types like the A380 and B787 “Dreamliner” is much less than the noise generated by older aircraft types, it is the increasing number of flights that concerns many in the community.

Recent research in the field of aircraft noise management and related levels of community annoyance, have identified the following contributing factors:

  • Socio-economic and lifestyle expectations in relation to the environment
  • Equitable sharing of actual and perceived negative impacts of aircraft noise
  • Subconscious fear of aircraft accidents
  • Feelings of loss of control, stress and poor psychological health
  • Providing a focal point for other real or perceived negative aspects of airport development.

There is evidence that these types of non-acoustic factors may be as important as the noise exposure level in determining reported annoyance. Some of these factors are mapped in the diagram above.

It is vital that airports work with their local communities proactively managing noise generated from aircraft arrivals and departures and communicating in an open and transparent way about the impact of airport operations. This has been shown to be important in reducing community concerns and achieving acceptance and tolerance of the airport as air traffic grows.

Sydney Airport and its aviation industry partners are striving to achieve this through the initiatives described in the following sections.

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Curfew – Night noise

Frequency-based aircraft noise charts (N60s)

From the community’s perspective, it is also important to know the number of noise events that are forecast to occur during sleeping hours.  AS2021-2015 identifies 50 dB(A) as the inside noise level above which aircraft noise can be considered to be intrusive during sleeping hours.  This inside noise level would generally be experienced during a 60 dB(A) outside noise event.  A contour map showing the number of events louder than 60 dB(A) – known as the N60 contour – is therefore an effective way of conveying this information to the community.  Given its purpose, noise events shown are limited to those occurring between 11.00pm and 6.00am.

More information about the Sydney Airport Curfew Act 1995 can be found here.

The N60 charts developed for Master Plan 2039 assumes that Western Sydney Airport opens in late 2026 and that as a consequence, there are changes to the curfew arrangements at Sydney Airport.  The forecast N60 chart for Sydney Airport in 2026 (operations between 11.00pm and 6.00am only) is shown in the tool below.  Hover over the different contour levels to see the forecast number of events greater than 60dB during curfew hours around Sydney Airport.

Your location will display on the map based on your location input.  Enter your address to see information relevant to where you live or your suburb to see information general to your suburb.  If you choose not to enter your location, you will see information for Sydney CBD.