Manhattan is within 20 miles of 5 airports with control towers: LaGuardia, Teterboro, Newark Liberty International, John F. Kennedy International and Essex County. Most planes you see over Manhattan 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 Manhattan change too.
Right now over Manhattan
Live aircraft within about 8 miles of Manhattan, 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 Manhattan.
Tap the map to see how often planes pass over that spot. Zoom in with + and –, or pinch with two fingers. 📍 shows where you are. ⤢ goes back to the full view.
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 Manhattan: what the recorded flights show
We’ve recorded months of flights below 10,000 feet over this area. Here’s what they show for Manhattan, 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 Manhattan, an aircraft is overhead about 11 minutes a day on average (very roughly 65 flights).
- The busiest flight path near Manhattan is about 1.2 miles west-northwest of the center of Manhattan, where an aircraft is overhead about 27 minutes a day (very roughly 160 flights), usually around 2,100 ft above the main airport.
- There: 28% low, under 4,000 ft · 72% helicopters.
- Most of them are heading northeast.
Which way the wind sets the runways
- LaGuardia (LGA), 4.9 miles east: over the past year, whenever there was a breeze, it favored landing toward the northwest (runway 31) 37% of the time and toward the southwest (runway 22) 34%. When LGA is using the northwest runways, departing planes climb out toward Manhattan.
- Teterboro (TEB), 6.8 miles northwest: over the past year, whenever there was a breeze, it favored landing toward the southwest (runway 24) 38% of the time and toward the north (runway 1) 33%.
- Newark Liberty International (EWR), 12.5 miles west-southwest: over the past year, whenever there was a breeze, it favored landing toward the west (runway 29) 41% of the time and toward the southwest (runways 22L and 22R) 27%.
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 Manhattan
These air traffic control facilities keep the planes over Manhattan safely apart. Each one has a free thank-you wall.
- LGATowerLaGuardia Tower (LGA)Takeoffs and landings at LaGuardiaThank them →
- TEBTowerTeterboro Tower (TEB)Takeoffs and landings at TeterboroThank them →
- EWRTowerNewark Liberty Tower (EWR)Takeoffs and landings at Newark Liberty InternationalThank them →
- JFKTowerJFK International Tower (JFK)Takeoffs and landings at John F. Kennedy InternationalThank them →
- CDWTowerEssex County Caldwell Tower (CDW)Takeoffs and landings at Essex CountyThank them →
- N90Approach controlNew York TRACON (N90)Guides planes climbing out of and coming down into the airports around ManhattanThank them →
- ZNYEn route centerNew York ARTCC (ZNY)Handles flights cruising high over ManhattanThank them →
Why the flight paths over Manhattan 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 Manhattan. 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 Manhattan
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 Manhattan are:
- LaGuardia (LGA)
- Teterboro (TEB)
- Newark Liberty International (EWR)
- John F. Kennedy International (JFK)
- Essex County (CDW)
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
- New York, NY
- The Bronx, NY
- Jersey City, NJ
- Brooklyn, NY
- Queens, NY
- Yonkers, NY
- South Ozone Park, NY
- Newark, NJ
Every plane over Manhattan is talking to a controller. Say thanks to the people who keep them safely apart.
Common questions
How many planes fly over Manhattan a day?
Based on months of recorded flights below 10,000 feet, an aircraft is over the center of Manhattan about 11 minutes a day on average (very roughly 65 flights). The busiest nearby path, about 1.2 miles west-northwest of the center, has an aircraft overhead about 27 minutes a day (very roughly 160 flights).
Which way does LGA usually land?
Over the past year, whenever there was a breeze, the wind favored LaGuardia landing toward the northwest (runway 31) 37% of the time and toward the southwest (runway 22) 34%. Planes take off and land into the wind, so the direction flips when the wind does.
Why are planes flying so low over Manhattan?
Planes low over Manhattan are usually landing at or taking off from one of the nearby airports, such as LaGuardia (LGA), 5 miles away. Air traffic controllers keep every one of them safely separated from the others.
Why are there more planes over Manhattan 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 Manhattan going to?
The closest airports with control towers are LaGuardia (LGA), Teterboro (TEB), Newark Liberty International (EWR), John F. Kennedy International (JFK), Essex County (CDW). 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 Manhattan?
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.