Aircraft noise · Edinburgh, United Kingdom
Edinburgh aircraft noise: flight paths, runways and night flights
About 350 planes land and take off at Edinburgh on an average day. Which streets hear them depends on the wind and the runway in use. This is where they fly and how low, measured from a year of recorded flights.
Updated 29 September 2026
Flights a day
346
Landings and take-offs on an average day. Busiest: 437 on 2 July 2026.
Night flights
44
Between 23:00 and 07:00 on an average night. Busiest night: 73.
Landing towards the south-west
68%
of days (runway 24). Towards the north-east on 18%. Both directions on 14%.
Quiet hours
02:59–05:36
A typical night’s longest stretch without a landing or take-off: 2 h 36 min.
From 311 days of recorded flights, 29 September 2025 to 28 September 2026.
Runways and the wind
Edinburgh has one runway: 06/24. Planes land and take off into the wind, so the traffic runs one way or the other. Over the last year, planes landed towards the south-west (runway 24) on 68% of days and towards the north-east (runway 06) on 18%. On the other 14%, the direction changed during the day.
Days towards the north-east come in spells. In the last year, April and December had the most, about three in ten of their days or more. That is why one visit to a house can mislead: a street under one approach can have a quiet week, then weeks of planes.
Where landing planes fly
Landing planes line up with the runway well over 10 km out and descend on a straight, gentle slope, so the same streets hear them at much the same height every time.
Landing towards the south-west (runway 24), planes line up over Newhaven, West Pilton, Muirhouse and Burnshot and descend to about 1,750 ft 10 km before the runway and 700 ft at 4 km.
Landing towards the north-east (runway 06), planes line up over Boghall, Ladywell, Roman Camp and Newbridge, at the same heights.
Typical height above the airport by distance from the runway end. The band holds the middle half of the flights.
Landing planes pass Cramond at about 700 ft, West Pilton at about 1,400 ft, Newhaven at about 2,100 ft.
Landing towards the south-west (runway 24), 68% of days
| Before the runway | Runway 24 |
|---|---|
| 2 km | Burnshot 350 ft (110 m) |
| 4 km | Cramond 700 ft (210 m) |
| 6 km | Muirhouse 1,050 ft (320 m) |
| 8 km | West Pilton 1,400 ft (430 m) |
| 10 km | Granton 1,750 ft (530 m) |
| 12 km | Newhaven 2,100 ft (640 m) |
| 15 km | Open ground or water 2,600 ft (790 m) |
Landing towards the north-east (runway 06), 18% of days
| Before the runway | Runway 06 |
|---|---|
| 2 km | Newbridge 400 ft (120 m) |
| 4 km | Muirend 700 ft (210 m) |
| 6 km | Roman Camp 1,050 ft (320 m) |
| 8 km | Pumpherston 1,400 ft (430 m) |
| 10 km | Ladywell 1,750 ft (530 m) |
| 12 km | Eliburn 2,100 ft (640 m) |
| 15 km | Boghall 2,650 ft (810 m) |
Where landing planes pass at each distance from the runway, and their typical height above the airport, from 10 sample days. Place names © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Large jets at these heights are clearly heard well to either side of the line, not only directly beneath it.
Where take-offs go
Take-offs climb much faster than landings descend, and they turn onto set routes soon after leaving the runway, so they spread over a wider area at greater heights.
Taking off towards the south-west (runway 24), planes climb to about 1,650 ft 2 km past the end of the runway and 3,750 ft at 8 km. Most head south-west, passing Pumpherston at about 3,750 ft.
Taking off towards the north-east (runway 06), planes climb to about 1,350 ft 2 km past the end of the runway and 3,300 ft at 8 km. Most head north-east.
Taking off towards the south-west (runway 24), 68% of days
Typical height past the end of the runway: 1,650 ft (500 m) at 2 km, 2,300 ft (700 m) at 4 km, 3,000 ft (910 m) at 6 km, 3,750 ft (1,140 m) at 8 km.
| Heading | Share | Passing, 8 km out |
|---|---|---|
| South-west | 98% | Pumpherston, West Lothian 3,750 ft (1,140 m) |
Taking off towards the north-east (runway 06), 18% of days
Typical height past the end of the runway: 1,350 ft (410 m) at 2 km, 2,050 ft (620 m) at 4 km, 2,650 ft (810 m) at 6 km, 3,300 ft (1,010 m) at 8 km.
| Heading | Share | Passing, 8 km out |
|---|---|---|
| North-east | 100% | Open ground or water 3,300 ft (1,010 m) |
Take-offs turn onto different routes, so these are the main groups rather than one line. From 10 sample days. Place names © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Night flights and quiet hours
On an average night over the last year, 44 planes landed or took off between 23:00 and 07:00, and 73 on the busiest night. A typical night has no landings or take-offs at all from about 03:00 to 05:35. Traffic builds from about 06:00, and the busiest hour is 12:00–13:00, with about 24 flights.
Night, 23:00–07:00. Average of 10 sample days across the year, local time.
Show as a table
| Hour | Flights | Hour | Flights |
|---|---|---|---|
| 00:00–01:00 (night) | 8 | 12:00–13:00 | 24 |
| 01:00–02:00 (night) | 6 | 13:00–14:00 | 22 |
| 02:00–03:00 (night) | 4 | 14:00–15:00 | 24 |
| 03:00–04:00 (night) | 2 | 15:00–16:00 | 21 |
| 04:00–05:00 (night) | 0 | 16:00–17:00 | 21 |
| 05:00–06:00 (night) | 4 | 17:00–18:00 | 22 |
| 06:00–07:00 (night) | 19 | 18:00–19:00 | 20 |
| 07:00–08:00 | 22 | 19:00–20:00 | 18 |
| 08:00–09:00 | 20 | 20:00–21:00 | 18 |
| 09:00–10:00 | 22 | 21:00–22:00 | 11 |
| 10:00–11:00 | 19 | 22:00–23:00 | 11 |
| 11:00–12:00 | 20 | 23:00–00:00 (night) | 8 |
Night rules differ from airport to airport: how curfews, quotas and bans work explains the kinds there are.
Busy days and quiet days
Over the year, Edinburgh averaged about 350 landings and take-offs a day. The quietest month was January, with about 270 a day, and the busiest July, with about 400. Saturday is the quietest day of the week and Friday the busiest. For most homes nearby, though, the runway direction matters more than the number of flights.
Checking a home near Edinburgh
These figures describe the airport as a whole. What one home hears depends on how close it is to the lines above, how often those runways are used and at what time. How to check aircraft noise before buying a house sets out the checks, and is this house under a flight path? shows how to find the lines on a map. To raise a noise problem, how to complain about aircraft noise explains where to start.
Questions
What time do flights stop at Edinburgh?
In our recordings, a typical night at Edinburgh has no landings or take-offs from about 03:00 to 05:35. Between 23:00 and 07:00 there are about 44 flights on an average night.
Which way do planes land at Edinburgh?
It depends on the wind. Over the last year, planes landed towards the south-west (runway 24) on 68% of days and towards the north-east (runway 06) on 18%. On the other 14%, the direction changed during the day.
How low do planes fly near Edinburgh?
Landing towards the south-west (runway 24), planes are about 1,050 ft over Muirhouse and about 1,750 ft over Granton. Landing towards the north-east (runway 06), planes are about 1,050 ft over Roman Camp and about 1,750 ft over Ladywell. Heights are above the airport, from a sample of days across the year.
How many flights are there at Edinburgh a day?
About 350 landings and take-offs on an average day over the last year, from about 270 a day in January to 400 in July. The busiest day had 437.
How can I check aircraft noise at an address near Edinburgh?
Replay a real day at Edinburgh on our free flight map and tap the street to see how many loud planes it heard, on a day in each runway direction. A Flight Noise report does the same for a full year of flights at one address.
Sources
Flight figures: Flight Noise, from every landing and take-off recorded by ADS-B receivers (ADSB.lol, ODbL) over the period shown above.
Related guides
- Buying or renting near an airportHow to check aircraft noise before buying a house
- Why planes are over your houseWhy are planes flying over my house today?
- Understanding aircraft noiseHow high do planes fly when landing and taking off?
- Complaints, rules and rightsNight flights: how curfews, quotas and bans work