New Orleans is within 20 miles of 2 airports with control towers: Lakefront and Louis Armstrong New Orleans International. Most planes you see over New Orleans 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 New Orleans change too.
Right now over New Orleans
Live aircraft within about 8 miles of New Orleans, updated every 30 seconds.
Hearing helicopters or sirens? Listen to the Orleans Parish police scanner ↗
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 New Orleans.
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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 New Orleans: what the recorded flights show
We’ve recorded months of flights below 10,000 feet over this area. Here’s what they show for New Orleans, 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 New Orleans, an aircraft is overhead under a minute a day on average (very roughly 6 flights).
- The busiest flight path near New Orleans is about 0.8 miles north-northwest of the center of New Orleans, where an aircraft is overhead about 3 minutes a day (very roughly 15 flights), usually around 1,000 ft above the main airport.
- There: 8% low, under 4,000 ft · 92% helicopters.
- It’s busiest on days the wind blows from the south (about 8 minutes a day), and quieter when it blows from the west (under a minute).
Which way the wind sets the runways
- Lakefront (NEW), 6.7 miles north-northeast: over the past year, whenever there was a breeze, it favored landing toward the south (runways 18L and 18R) 37% of the time and toward the east (runway 9) 25%.
- Louis Armstrong New Orleans International (MSY), 11.7 miles west-northwest: over the past year, whenever there was a breeze, it favored landing toward the south (runway 20) 35% of the time and toward the north (runway 2) 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 New Orleans
These air traffic control facilities keep the planes over New Orleans safely apart. Each one has a free thank-you wall.
- NEWTowerLakefront Tower (NEW)Takeoffs and landings at LakefrontThank them →
- MSYTowerLouis Armstrong New Orleans Tower (MSY)Takeoffs and landings at Louis Armstrong New Orleans InternationalThank them →
- ZHUEn route centerHouston ARTCC (ZHU)Handles flights cruising high over New OrleansThank them →
Why the flight paths over New Orleans 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 New Orleans. 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 New Orleans
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 New Orleans are:
- Lakefront (NEW)
- Louis Armstrong New Orleans International (MSY)
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 New Orleans is talking to a controller. Say thanks to the people who keep them safely apart.
Common questions
How many planes fly over New Orleans a day?
Based on months of recorded flights below 10,000 feet, an aircraft is over the center of New Orleans under a minute a day on average (very roughly 6 flights). The busiest nearby path, about 0.8 miles north-northwest of the center, has an aircraft overhead about 3 minutes a day (very roughly 15 flights).
Which way does MSY usually land?
Over the past year, whenever there was a breeze, the wind favored Louis Armstrong New Orleans International landing toward the south (runway 20) 35% of the time and toward the north (runway 2) 27%. Planes take off and land into the wind, so the direction flips when the wind does.
Why are planes flying so low over New Orleans?
Planes low over New Orleans are usually landing at or taking off from one of the nearby airports, such as Lakefront (NEW), 7 miles away. Air traffic controllers keep every one of them safely separated from the others.
Why are there more planes over New Orleans 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 New Orleans going to?
The closest airports with control towers are Lakefront (NEW), Louis Armstrong New Orleans International (MSY). 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 New Orleans?
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.