Atlanta is within 20 miles of 3 airports with control towers: Fulton County Brown Field, Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta International and DeKalb Peachtree. Most planes you see over Atlanta are taking off from or landing at one of them. Airports take off and land into the wind, so when the wind changes, the paths over Atlanta change too.
Right now over Atlanta
Live aircraft within about 8 miles of Atlanta, updated every 30 seconds.
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Which way the airports are landing right now
Planes take off and land into the wind. Here is the wind at each airport right now, and what it means for the planes over Atlanta.
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Arriving planes don’t fly straight to the runway. Controllers line them up like cars merging onto a highway, often 10 to 20 miles or more from the airport, and fly them along the side of the airport before turning them toward the runway. That is why a town several miles from an airport can sit right under the line of arriving planes, and why it changes when the airport switches direction.
Flight paths over Atlanta: what the recorded flights show
We’ve recorded months of flights below 10,000 feet over this area. Here’s what they show for Atlanta, and which way the wind sets the runways at each nearby airport. These are averages: any single day can be quieter or busier.
- Over the center of Atlanta, an aircraft is overhead about 4 minutes a day on average (very roughly 20 flights).
- The busiest flight path near Atlanta is about 1.3 miles south-southeast of the center of Atlanta, where an aircraft is overhead about 28 minutes a day (very roughly 240 flights), usually around 8,200 ft above the main airport.
- There: 98% higher, 4,000 to 10,000 ft.
- Most of them are heading east.
Which way the wind sets the runways
- Fulton County Brown Field (FTY), 7.9 miles west-northwest: over the past year, whenever there was a breeze, it favored landing toward the west (runway 26) 66% of the time and toward the east (runway 8) 34%.
- Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta International (ATL), 8.1 miles south-southwest: over the past year, whenever there was a breeze, it favored landing toward the west (runways 26L, 26R, 27L, 27R and 28) 64% of the time and toward the east (runways 8L, 8R, 9L, 9R and 10) 36%.
- DeKalb Peachtree (PDK), 10.1 miles north-northeast: over the past year, whenever there was a breeze, it favored landing toward the northwest (runway 34) 33% of the time and toward the southwest (runways 21L and 21R) 29%.
Estimated from the past year’s hourly winds (Nov 2025 to Oct 2026), counting the hours with at least a light breeze. The wind leads, but controllers also weigh noise rules, traffic and runway work, so the runway in use doesn’t always match.
Is your street under a flight path? Check your exact address →
Who controls the sky over Atlanta
These air traffic control facilities keep the planes over Atlanta safely apart. Each one has a free thank-you wall.
- FTYTowerFulton County Brown Field Tower (FTY)Takeoffs and landings at Fulton County Brown FieldThank them →
- ATLTowerAtlanta Hartsfield-Jackson Tower (ATL)Takeoffs and landings at Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta InternationalThank them →
- PDKTowerDeKalb-Peachtree Tower (PDK)Takeoffs and landings at DeKalb PeachtreeThank them →
- A80Approach controlAtlanta TRACON (A80)Guides planes climbing out of and coming down into the airports around AtlantaThank them →
- ZTLEn route centerAtlanta ARTCC (ZTL)Handles flights cruising high over AtlantaThank them →
Why the flight paths over Atlanta change
The wind
Airports use the runway that points most into the wind. When the wind swings around, arrivals and departures flip to the other end of the runway, and planes can start crossing a different part of Atlanta. That often happens when a front or a line of storms moves through.
Storms
Controllers steer planes around thunderstorms, so on stormy afternoons flights can show up where you normally never see them, sometimes lower and closer together than usual.
Busy times
At busy times, controllers space arrivals a few miles apart and may extend the line of planes farther out, which can stretch the arrival path over more neighborhoods.
Training and small planes
Smaller airports nearby are home to flight schools. Student pilots practice takeoffs, landings and approaches, so you may see the same small plane circle back again and again.
Questions about aircraft noise in Atlanta
Aircraft noise is handled by the airport, not by air traffic control. Each airport (usually run by a city, county or airport authority) has its own noise office and wants to hear about specific flights, so note the date and time. The airports near Atlanta are:
- Fulton County Brown Field (FTY)
- Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta International (ATL)
- DeKalb Peachtree (PDK)
To find the right noise office, search the airport’s name with the word “noise,” or use the FAA’s airport locator. If the airport can’t help, the FAA’s noise ombudsman can. FAA: Noise complaints and inquiries → · Find your airport’s noise office, and what helps at home →
Nearby towns
Every plane over Atlanta is talking to a controller. Say thanks to the people who keep them safely apart.
Common questions
How many planes fly over Atlanta a day?
Based on months of recorded flights below 10,000 feet, an aircraft is over the center of Atlanta about 4 minutes a day on average (very roughly 20 flights). The busiest nearby path, about 1.3 miles south-southeast of the center, has an aircraft overhead about 28 minutes a day (very roughly 240 flights).
Which way does ATL usually land?
Over the past year, whenever there was a breeze, the wind favored Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta International landing toward the west (runways 26L, 26R, 27L, 27R and 28) 64% of the time and toward the east (runways 8L, 8R, 9L, 9R and 10) 36%. Planes take off and land into the wind, so the direction flips when the wind does.
Why are planes flying so low over Atlanta?
Planes low over Atlanta are usually landing at or taking off from one of the nearby airports, such as Fulton County Brown Field (FTY), 8 miles away. Air traffic controllers keep every one of them safely separated from the others.
Why are there more planes over Atlanta some days?
Mostly because of the wind. Airports take off and land into the wind, so a wind shift can send arrivals or departures over different neighborhoods. Storms and busy travel days can also move or stretch the usual paths.
Which airport are the planes over Atlanta going to?
The closest airports with control towers are Fulton County Brown Field (FTY), Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta International (ATL), DeKalb Peachtree (PDK). Low planes are usually using one of these; higher jets are often passing over on the way somewhere else.
Who do I contact about airplane noise in Atlanta?
The noise office of the airport the plane was using, not the control tower. Have the date and time ready. If the airport can't help, the FAA's noise ombudsman takes inquiries through faa.gov/noise.